Poland 10 Zlotych 2012 Stefan Banach

Stefan Banach Obverse: In the centre, a stylised image of a cuboid with a mathematical formula applied in the Hahna-Banach theorem placed on the cuboid faces. Underneath, an inscription: 10 ZŁ. Above it, on the right, an image of the Eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland. On the right of the Eagle, diagonally, the notation of the year of issue: 2012. At the top, a semicircular inscription: RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA (Republic of Poland). Under the Eagle, on the right, the Mint’s mark: M/W. Reverse: In the centre, against a background of points forming circles, a stylised image of a bust of Stefan Banach. On the left, at the top, an inscription: STEFAN/BANACH. Below it, an inscription: 1892-1945. At the bottom, an inequality illustrating a connection between linear operators in Banach spaces. Stefan Banach (1892–1945) was the greatest Polish mathematician and co-founder of the famous Polish School of Mathematics developed in the interwar period of 1918-1939. Banach was born in Kraków. As an infant he was given away by his father (known by the name of Greczek) to be raised by an owner of several launderettes in Kraków. In 1910 Banach graduated from secondary school and enrolled in studies at the Technical University of Lwów. Before the outbreak of WWI he passed all examinations included in the first two years of the study programme and his formal education came to an end. In 1920 he became an assistant in the Department under Professor Łomnicki at the Technical University of Lwów. In the same year he gained a doctorate, and then progressed quickly in his career. In 1922 Banach habilitated and became an associate professor at the Jan Kazimierz University of Lwów, and a full professor in 1927. In 1929 Banach and Steinhaus founded “Studia Mathematica” – the world’s second specialist journal of mathematics devoted to functional analysis and probability theory. In 1932 the famous series “Monografie Matematycze” (“Mathematics Monographs”) was founded. After WWII Banach was offered a Chair at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Sadly, the professor did not manage to take it because he died of cancer at the end of August 1945. Stefan Banach was laid to rest at the Łyczakowski Cemetery. The text comes from the prospectus of the National Bank of Poland