Ludwig Boltzmann Biography

Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann was an Austrian physicist, who was known for his work in statistical mechanics. Coming from a middle-class family, Ludwig was helped by his mother in his scientific endeavours, as he lost his father at a tender age. Initially he was given private tuitions at home and later he attended high school in Linz. Ludwig studied Physics in the University of Vienna and was mentored by the great minds of the time like Josef Stefan and Andreas von Ettingshausen. Under the guidance of Stefan, he received his PhD and became a lecturer. Ludwig taught at Graz, Heidelberg and Berlin and studied under Bunsen and Helmholtz. During his time in Graz, he met his wife Henriette. Boltzmann was known for his extreme mood swings, which also significantly influenced the direction of his career. His work on statistical mechanics was mainly based on the theory of probability, and was closely associated with the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Some of his theories were far ahead of his time, which often led to extreme opposition by his contemporaries. During his visits to USA, he lectured on applied mathematics, but he did not realize that new discoveries related to radiation would help him to substantiate his theories. Eventually, his desperation and declining mental condition drove him to suicide when he was holidaying with his family.