A conversation with Harald Bergström

Abstract

Harald Bergström was born on April 1, 1908, in Mölltorp, situated in the middle of Sweden. A Master of Philosophy degree was awarded in 1931 at the University of Uppsala (in mathematics, physics and chemistry, extended to theoretical physics in 1932). He taught in secondary schools (gymnasiums) from 1932 to 1934, and then returned to Uppsala to pursue his research in mathematics toward a doctorate degree, which he received in 1938. He had a permanent lectureship in mathematics at the University of Uppsala from 1938 to 1945, and at a military college in 1945. In 1946, he was asked to hold a new established professorship in applied mathematics at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, where he became full Professor in 1949. In 1960, the professorship in applied mathematics was expanded to two professorships--one in numerical analysis and one in mathematical statistics; he occupied the latter until his retirement in 1974.