Norman Herbert Anning ( – ) was a mathematician, assistant professor, professor emeritus, and instructor in mathematics, recognized and acclaimed in mathematics for publishing a proof of the characterization of the

infinite set In set theory, an infinite set is a set that is not a finite set. Infinite sets may be countable or uncountable. Properties The set of natural numbers (whose existence is postulated by the axiom of infinity) is infinite. It is the only set ...

s of points in the plane with mutually

integer An integer is the number zero (0), a positive natural number (1, 2, 3, ...), or the negation of a positive natural number (−1, −2, −3, ...). The negations or additive inverses of the positive natural numbers are referred to as negative in ...

distances, known as the

Erdős–Anning theorem The Erdős–Anning theorem states that, whenever an Infinite set, infinite number of points in the plane all have integer distances, the points lie on a straight line. The same result holds in higher dimensional Euclidean spaces. The theorem ca ...

Life

Anning was originally from Holland Township (currently Chatsworth),

Grey County Grey County is a county in the province of Ontario. The county is located in the Southwestern Ontario region, and is a part of the Georgian Triangle. At the time of the 2021 Canadian census the population of the county was 100,905. Owen Sound is ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. In 1902, he won a scholarship to Queen's University, and received the Arts bachelor's degree in 1905, and the Arts master's degree in 1906 from the same institution.

Academic career

Anning served in the faculty of the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

since 1920, until he retired on 1953. From 1909 to 1910, he held a teaching position in the department of Mathematics and Science at Chilliwack High School, British Columbia. Anning was appointed as chairperson at the

from 1951 to 1952, and treasurer secretary from 1925 to 1926 at the same institution. With

Paul Erdős Paul Erdős ( ; 26March 191320September 1996) was a Hungarian mathematician. He was one of the most prolific mathematicians and producers of mathematical conjectures of the 20th century. pursued and proposed problems in discrete mathematics, g ...

, he published a paper in 1945 containing what is now known as the

. The theorem states that an infinite number of points in the plane can have mutual integer distances only if all the points lie on a straight line. Anning retired on August 28, 1953. He died in Sunnydale, California on May 1, 1963.

Publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anning, Norman 20th-century American mathematicians Canadian mathematicians University of Michigan faculty 1883 births 1963 deaths People from Grey County Queen's University at Kingston alumni Canadian educators