Zvonimir Janko
| Zvonimir Janko | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 November 1932 Bjelovar, Yugoslavia |
| Nationality | Croatian |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions |
University of Zagreb University of Heidelberg Monash University Australian National University. |
| Alma mater | University of Zagreb |
| Doctoral advisor | Vladimir Devidé |
| Doctoral students |
J. Richard Lundgren Kristina Reiss |
| Known for | Janko groups |
Zvonimir Janko (born 26 November 1932) is a Croatian mathematician who is the eponym of the Janko groups, sporadic simple groups in group theory. The first few sporadic simple groups were discovered by Émile Léonard Mathieu, which were then called the Mathieu groups. It was after 90 years of the discovery of the last Mathieu group that Zvonimir Janko constructed a new sporadic simple group in 1964. In his honour, this group is now called J1. This discovery launched the modern theory of sporadic groups and it was an important milestone in the classification of finite simple groups.
Biography
Janko was born in Bjelovar, Croatia. He studied at the University of Zagreb where he received Ph.D. in 1960. He then taught physics at a high school in Široki Brijeg in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Later he worked as a professor at the University of Zagreb, the University of Heidelberg, Monash University, and at the Australian National University.