Leonhard Zorn

Leonhard Zorn was a German mathematician known for his contributions to set theory and order theory, particularly for Zorn's Lemma. This principle states that in any partially ordered set, if every chain (a subset where any two elements are comparable) has an upper bound, then the whole set contains at least one maximal element. Zorn's Lemma is essential in various mathematical proofs and serves as a foundational concept in mathematics, linking to other significant results like the Axiom of Choice. His work has impacted fields ranging from algebra to topology, helping to establish modern mathematical frameworks.