Hans Freudenthal

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Hans Freudenthal (September 17, 1905 – October 13, 1990) was a Dutch mathematician born in Luckenwalde in Germany into a Jewish family. He made substantial contributions to algebraic topology and also took an interest in literature, philosophy, history and mathematics education.

Freudenthal did his thesis work with Heinz Hopf and defended a thesis on the ends of topological groups in 1930. He was officially awarded a degree in October 1931. He then went to Amsterdam to serve as assistant to Brouwer. In 1937 he proved the Freudenthal suspension theorem.

In 1941 Freudenthal was suspended from duties at the University of Amsterdam by the Nazis. His wife, however, was not Jewish, and he was not deported.

Later in his life, Freudenthal focused on elementary mathematics education.