Felix Pollaczek

Who was Felix Pollaczek?

Félix Pollaczek was an Austrian-French engineer and mathematician, known for numerous contributions to number theory, mathematical analysis, mathematical physics and probability theory. He is best known for the Pollaczek–Khinchine formula in queueing theory, and the Pollaczek polynomials.

Pollaczek studied at the Technical University of Vienna, got a M.Sc. in electrical engineering from Technical University of Brno, and his Ph.D. in mathematics from University of Berlin on a dissertation entitled Über die Kreiskörper der l-ten und l²-ten Einheitswurzeln, advised by Issai Schur and based on results published first in 1917.

He was employed by AEG in Berlin, worked for Deutsche Bundespost, moved to Paris where he was consulting teletraffic engineer to various institutions. In 1977 was awarded the John von Neumann Theory Prize, although his age prevented him from receiving the prize in person.

He married mathematician Hilda Geiringer in 1921, and they had a child, Magda, in 1922. However, their marriage did not last, and Magda was brought up by Hilda.