1803-1855

Swiss mathematician and physicist who is best known for his part of the Sturm-Liouville problem in differential equations. Sturm worked in a number of mathematical specialties, including duplicating some of Augustin Cauchy's results, albeit in a mathematically superior manner. Sturm also worked extensively with problems in physics, making the first accurate measurement of the velocity of sound in water. Sturm's work in heat diffusion was never published, but led to other mathematical results that later proved important.