Jur Hronec was born in Gočovo, Slovakia. He grew up in modest circumstances in a farmers family. After graduating from high school in Rožňava he studied mathematics and physics at the University of Cluj under supervision of Professor Ľudovít Schlesinger. From 1908 to 1914 he studied at Göttingen, Giessen, Berlin, Switzerland and Paris, in the years 1922–1923 in Prague, Göttingen and Giessen. Doctoral dissertation in the field of differential equations he defended in 1912 in Giessen.
Career
In years 1906–1922, after successful completion of the university, he worked in years with fewer interruptions while on study abroad at school in Kezmarok. Jur Hronec was habilitated at Charles University in Prague in 1923. From 1924 to 1939 he was professor of mathematics at the Czech Technical University in Brno. Educational work of the school determined his further scientific focus. He recognised the importance of mathematics in science and technology and focused his research on application to technical problems. Lifetime Achievement Hronca academic includes three areas: scientific, educational, public. Research activities focused primarily on differential equations. He studied problems of Erdős–Fuchs theorem of linear differential equations and their generalisation. He wrote a considerable number of scientific papers, publications, and university textbooks, the most important are:
Differential Equations I, II and many scientific papers published in journals.
He lectured at many national and international conferences and symposia. Throughout his scientific and pedagogical career he has been in contact with mathematicians abroad, and collaborated very actively with Czech mathematicians. J. Hronec Stressed the importance of teacher's personality in the pedagogical work:
Mathematics education as a means
Personality and teaching
Teacher's personality
Hronec has significant merit in the creation and development of science and technical universities in Slovakia. In the spring of 1936 Jur Hronec was the initiator of "Action for the construction of Slovak universities", where he was elected President at its founding meeting. In autumn 1936 he was the chairman of the Action Committee for the construction of technical university in Slovakia. This activity has been successful - in June 1937 the National Assembly adopted the Law on the establishment of technical university in Kosice. August 4, 1938 Jur Hronec was fourthelected its first Rector. In 1940 he participated in the establishment of the Slovak University of Natural Sciences and College of Commerce in Bratislava, where he became its first Dean. In 1946 he was the chairman of the Commission for the establishment of the University of Agriculture and Forestry in Kosice. In the same year, laying the foundation in Bratislava, Faculty of Education. J. Hrones devoted a great care to the mathematics department of Comenius University in Bratislava, where he was head of department for many years. Other posts and achievements:
He paid great attention to the high school youth. On his initiative and in collaboration with several mathematicians in Slovakia there were various math competition organized for high school students, which from 1951 were working within the framework of mathematical olympiad. J. Hronec had warm relations since the beginning with the union of mathematicians and physicists. He was the first Slovak Mathematicians, who corresponded with the Union of Czech Mathematicians and in 1921 became a member. He laid the foundations of action of the union in Slovakia. When in 1956 the Slovak Committee was created, he was elected as its chairman. J. Hronec has great merits in the development of a high level of mathematics in Slovakia, where he mentored nearly two generations of Slovak Mathematicians. He died first December 1959 in Bratislava. He is buried in his native village of Gočove.
Awards
His scientific, educational and organizational work has been acknowledged by several national and scientific awards. Union of Czechoslovak Mathematicians and Physicists in 1959 awarded him the title of "honorary member". It was the first time this title was awarded to their members. In 1962 he was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Comenius. In 1971 was opened a room to the public in his home Gočove. In 1981 a plaque was unveiled on the building of the pavilion of Mathematics Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and InformaticsComenius University in Bratislava, with the inscription "Jur Hronec, Slovak Mathematician, Educator and Humanitarian ". There are several educational institutions named after him in Slovakia. A well-respected gymnasium in Bratislava was named in his honour. At the Slovak University of Technology a halls of residence is named after him as well an Elementary School in Rožňava.
