Edgar Krahn Colorized imageThe Krahn Scholarship aims to provide financial assistance to worthy students studying mathematics at the University of Maryland. Recipients are selected by the Department of Mathematics on the basis of performance in the University of Maryland High School Mathematics Competition.

The Krahn Scholarships are funded from the Edgar Krahn Scholarship endowment. This endowment was established in honor of the mathematician Edgar Krahn (1894-1961), who played a significant role in the development of mathematics in Estonia, and made research contributions in diverse areas including differential geometry, probability, gas dynamics and elasticity. A centenary volume in his honor contains more information on his life and contributions (see "Edgar Krahn, 1894 -1961. A centenary volume." Edited by Ulo Lumiste and Jaak Peetre. IOS Press, Amsterdam; a copublication with the Estonian Mathematical Society, Tartu, 1994. ISBN: 90-5199-168-1).

The Edgar Krahn Scholarship endowment was established in 1983 by Dorothee Krahn, the widow of Edgar Krahn. Dorothee Krahn has remained active in the University as a supporter not only of mathematics, but also of the arts.


About Edgar Khran

Edgar Krahn (1 October [O.S. 19 September] 1894 – 6 March 1961) was an Estonian mathematician. Krahn was born in Sootaga (now Laiuse, Jõgeva County), Governorate of Livonia, as a member of the Baltic German minority. He died in Rockville, Maryland, United States.

Krahn studied at the University of Tartu and the University of Göttingen. He graduated at Tartu in 1918, received his doctoral degree at Göttingen in 1926, with Richard Courant as his advisor, and his habilitation took place at Tartu in 1928. He is co-author of the Rayleigh–Faber–Krahn inequality.

Krahn worked in Estonia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States in the following areas of pure and applied mathematics:

  • Differential geometry
  • Differential equations
  • Bausparmathematik, which is distantly related to insurance mathematics
  • Probability theory
  • Gas dynamics
  • Elasticity theory

 Award Recipents

  • 2008     Andy Zheng, Mitchell Katz, Henry Scher
  • 2007     Mitchell Katz
  • 2006     Rudolph Henkel, Matthew Jordan
  • 2005     Rudolph Henkel
  • 2004     Rudolph Henkel, Nikolai Yakovenko
  • 2003     Rudolph Henkel, Nikolai Yakovenko
  • 2002     Nikolai Yakovenko
  • 2001     Nikolai Yakovenko, Evan Cohen
  • 1998     Jeremy Ou, Allan Tong
  • 1997     Jeremy Ou, Kevin Scaldeferri, Allan Tong
  • 1996     Jeremy Ou, Kevin Scaldeferri, Allan Tong