Ferdinand Gonseth

[1] He was born on 22 September 1890 at Sonvilier, the son of Ferdinand Gonseth, a clockmaker, and his wife Marie Bourquin.

He studied at La Chaux-de-Fonds, and read physics and mathematics at ETH Zurich, from 1910 to 1914.

[2] In 1929 Gonseth succeeded Jérôme Franel as Professor of Higher Mathematics at ETH.

In the same year he took the newly created chair of philosophy of science at ETH.

[1] He was noted for his "open philosophy", according to which science and mathematics lacked absolute foundations.