The life and work of gustav elfving

Abstract

This article outlines the scientific work and life of the Finnish statistician, probabilist, and mathematician Gustav Elfving (1908-1984). Elfving’s academic career, scientific contacts, and personal life are sketched, and his main research contributions to the fields of statistics, probability, and mathematics are reviewed. (Elfving’s pioneering work in optimal design of experiments is not covered, as this topic will be treated elsewhere in this issue.) A chronological bibliography of Gustav Elfving is also given. © 1999 Institute of Mathematical Statistics.