Polish Mathematicians and Mathematics in World War I

TL;DR

This paper explores the diverse experiences and organizational efforts of Polish mathematicians during World War I, highlighting their contributions to the formation of a modern Polish mathematical community amidst wartime hardships.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive account of Polish mathematicians' activities and organizational initiatives during WWI, emphasizing their role in developing Polish mathematical identity.

Findings

Polish mathematicians maintained research and teaching during WWI.

Organizational efforts fostered the development of Polish mathematical institutions.

Mathematicians contributed to the formation of a modern Polish mathematical community.

Abstract

In this article we present diverse experiences of Polish mathematicians (in a broad sense) who during World War I fought for freedom of their homeland or conducted their research and teaching in difficult wartime circumstances. We first focus on those affiliated with Polish institutions of higher education: the existing Universities in Lw\'ow in Krak\'ow and the Lw\'ow Polytechnics (Austro-Hungarian empire) as well as the reactivated University of Warsaw and the new Warsaw Polytechnics (the Polish Kingdom, formerly in the Russian empire). Then we consider the situations of Polish mathematicians in the Russian empire and other countries. We discuss not only individual fates, but also organizational efforts of many kinds (teaching at the academic level outside traditional institutions-- in Society for Scientific Courses in Warsaw and in Polish University College in Kiev; scientific societies in Krak\'ow, Lw\'ow, Moscow and Kiev; publishing activities) in order to illustrate the formation of modern Polish mathematical community.