1915-1997

Japanese Mathematician

In a long career on two continents, Kunihiko Kodaira conducted ground-breaking research in the areas of algebraic varieties, harmonic integrals, and complex manifolds. He also became the first Japanese recipient of the Fields Medal in 1954, and he authored a number of textbooks that served to increase understanding of mathematics among Japanese students.

Born on March 16, 1915, in Tokyo, Kodaira was the son of Gonichi and Ichi Kanai Kodaira. He lived in Japan's capital during his early years, including his education at the University of Tokyo, which began when he was 20. There he studied a variety of mathematical fields and published his first paper (written in German) a year before he graduated in 1938. Among his early influences were John von Neumann (1903-1957), André Weil (1906- ), Hermann Weyl (1885-1955), M. H. Stone, and W. V. D. Hodge. Also significant was the influence of the book Algebraic...