Peter Weyl

Peter Weyl was a mathematician known for his work in the field of representation theory, which studies how abstract groups can be represented through matrices and transformations. His key contribution was proving that for certain types of groups, called compact groups, every function defined on them can be broken down into basic building blocks called "matrix coefficients," similar to how complex sounds can be decomposed into simple sine waves. This work helps in understanding symmetries in mathematics and physics, including quantum mechanics and signal processing, by providing a systematic way to analyze and interpret symmetrical structures.