Willem van der Woude


Willem van der Woude was a Dutch mathematician and rector magnificus of the University of Leiden.

Education and career

Van der Woude studied at the University of Groningen and then from 1901 to 1916 taught in Deventer. In 1908 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Groningen under Pieter Hendrik Schoute with thesis Over elkaar snijdende normalen aan een ellipsoide en een hyperellipsoide. From 1916 until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1947 he was professor of mathematics and mechanics at the University of Leiden.
In 1924 he was an invited speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Toronto. In the years 1923, 1924, 1939 and 1940 he chaired the Koninklijk Wiskundig Genootschap.
He was rector magnificus of the University of Leiden during three separate periods: 1934-1935, 1941-43 and 1945.

Selected publications

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