The present volume contains articles pertaining to a wide variety of
sub- jects such as conformal and quasi conformal mappings and related
extremal problems, Riemann surfaces, meromorphic functions, subharmonic
functions, approximation and interpolation, and other questions of
complex analysis. These contributions by mathematicians from allover the
world express con- sideration and friendship for Albert Pfluger. They
reflect the wide range of his interests. Albert Pfluger was born on 13
October 1907 in Oensingen (Kanton Solothurn) as the oldest son of a
Swiss farmer. After a classical education he studied Mathematics at the
ETH-Zurich. Among his teachers were Hopf, Plancherel, P6lya and Saxer.
P6lya was his Ph.D. adviser. After some teaching at high schools
(Gymnasien), he became professor at the University of Fribourg, and a
few years later (1943) he was appointed as successor of P6lya at the
ETH. He retired in 1978, but has always remained very active in
research. Pfluger's lectures were highly appreciated by the students.
His vivid and clear teaching stimulated and challenged them to
independent thinking. Many of his Ph.D. students are now themselves
teaching in universities. His main research relates to the following
fields: entire functions, Riemann surfaces, quasi conformal mappings,
schlicht functions. (See list of publica- tions.) He collaborated with
several mathematical colleagues, in particular with Rolf Nevanlinna, who
taught parallel to him at the University of Zurich. In 1973 Pfluger was
nominated foreign member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences.
