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Viewing Version 3 of 'Hjalmar Mellin'
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Title of object: Hjalmar Mellin
Canonical Name: HjalmarMellin
Type: Biography

Created on: 2008-01-19 17:37:50
Modified on: 2008-01-22 13:47:56

Creator: pahio
Modifier: pahio
Author: pahio

Classification: msc:01A55, msc:01A60
Keywords: function theory
Synonyms: Hjalmar Mellin=Mellin

Revision comment (for changes between this and next version):

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\PMlinkescapeword{inverse}
Robert Hjalmar Mellin (1854--1933), a Finnish function-theorist. He studied in Helsinki University under G\"osta Mittag-Leffler, in Berlin under Karl Weierstrass and Leopold Kronecker. He worked as professor of mathematics in the Helsinki Polytechnic Institute (later the Technical University of Finland).

Mellin is best known for his integral transform, the {\em Mellin transformation}
$$F(s) := \int_0^\infty t^{s-1}f(t)\,dt,$$
which he utilised in study of gamma function, hypergeometric functions, Dirichlet series, Riemann zeta function and related number-theoretic functions. Mellin's transform and its inverse transform
$$f(t) = \frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_{a-i\infty}^{a+i\infty}t^{-z}F(z)\,dz$$
are much used also in physics. Mellin himself applied his transformations for solving partial differential equations and the inverse transformations for forming asymptotic series expansions.

Mellin has addressed \PMlinkescapetext{strict criticism to the foundations of Einstein's theory} of relativity.