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Von Neumann has a result (rather well-known in convex analysis circles) which states that every orthogonally invariant matrix norm (meaning $\| P M Q\| = \| M \|,$ for any orthogonal $P, Q$) is a symmetric gauge of the singular values. This is a very nice and very useful result, for which the reference is (see also bibtex below):

J. von Neumann, Some matrix inequalities and metrization of matric space. Mitt. Forschungsinst. Math. Mech. Kujbyschew-Univ. Tomsk 1, 286-300 (1937).

The question is really one of history:

how did von Neumann (who was already in Princeton at the time) decide to publish in a Tomsk University proceedings?

Tomsk is very far from anywhere in Russia, and I am not aware of anything else that appeared there.

Bibtex reference:

@Misc{zbMATH02519847,
     Author = {J. {von Neumann}},
    Title = {{Some matrix inequalities and metrization of matric space.}},
    Year = {1937},
    Language = {English},
    HowPublished = {{Mitt. Forschungsinst. Math. Mech. Kujbyschew-Univ. Tomsk 1, 286-300 (1937).}},
    Zbl = {63.0037.03}
}
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  • $\begingroup$ Look at this www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Extras/… $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 9, 2018 at 12:04
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    $\begingroup$ Also, from wikipedia: Fritz Noether was also an able mathematician. Not allowed to work in Nazi Germany for being a Jew, he moved to the Soviet Union, where he was appointed to a professorship at the University of Tomsk. In November 1937, during the Great Purge, he was arrested at his home in Tomsk by the NKVD . $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 9, 2018 at 12:11
  • $\begingroup$ He was shot in Orel on September 10, 1941. His burial place is unknown. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 9, 2018 at 12:15
  • $\begingroup$ @AlexGavrilov Ah, that's very interesting! You think Noether was trying to get his old friends to publish in the Tomsk journal? (there is no evidence that von Neumann and he actually worked together, but from the list of publications, it looks like their interests were somewhat similar). Anyway, a very tragic story. $\endgroup$
    – Igor Rivin
    Commented Jan 9, 2018 at 13:31

1 Answer 1

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Probably there is no way to know it for certain, but it's a safe bet that this was related to Fritz Noether https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Noether . He was a brother of Emmy Noether and also a mathematician (although not nearly as famous as his elder sister). Apparently, he is best known for his work in relativity (Herglotz-Noether theorem).

As is well known, Emmy Noether moved to US after Nazi government dismissed Jews. Her brother, instead, moved to USSR. (Which, in hindsight, was not a very good idea.) He was appointed there to a professorship at the University of Tomsk. (Look at his publications in 1935-1937 http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Extras/Fritz_Noether_publications.html.) Of course, Von Neumann should have being familiar with Fritz Noether, so it is not a miracle if he sent him a paper or two.

Then there was the Great Purge. In 1937 (the same year the mentioned paper was published) Fritz Noether was arrested at his home in Tomsk. He was shot in Orel on September 10, 1941, and his burial place is unknown.

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    $\begingroup$ Upvoting this answer is very painful. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 9, 2018 at 14:43
  • $\begingroup$ I am not happy about it either. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 9, 2018 at 16:15
  • $\begingroup$ @JochenWengenroth Indeed, "raw upvotes" are really painful in such situations. The desire to have an "upvote as a sign of respect / gratitude / ..." has occasionally come up on MO, I wish there were something like that available. $\endgroup$
    – Suvrit
    Commented Jan 9, 2018 at 16:42

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