Solomon Marcus

Timeline

1. 1940s–1956

   Mathematics at Bucharest

   He studies mathematics at the University of Bucharest and graduates with a diploma of merit. In 1956, he earns a mathematics doctorate on monotone functions of two variables.

2. 1950–1991

   University posts and language teaching

   He becomes an assistant professor at the University of Bucharest in 1950, a lecturer in 1955, an associate professor in 1964, a professor in 1966 and professor emeritus in 1991. From 1961, he teaches mathematical linguistics at the University of Bucharest’s Mathematics and Philology faculties and works as a researcher at the Romanian Academy’s Institute of Mathematics until 1975.

3. 1963

   Mathematical models in linguistics

   In 1963, he publishes “Lingvistica matematică. Modele matematice în lingvistică,” a study of mathematical models in linguistics. Academic Press publishes its English edition in 1967.

4. 1964

   Grammars and finite automata

   He publishes “Gramatici și automate finite” (“Grammars and Finite Automata”) in 1964, a book on automata and formal languages.

5. 1974

   Language theory and DNA

   In 1974, he writes an article applying linguistics and formal-language theory to describe and investigate DNA biochemistry.

6. 1989–1999

   Semiotics association vice president

   He serves as vice president of the International Association of Semiotics from 1989 to 1999.

7. 1993–2015

   Academy membership and an order

   The Romanian Academy elects him a corresponding member in 1993 and a full member in 2001. In 2015, he receives the Order of the Star of Romania at the Knight rank.

8. 2016

   Research in language and semiotics

   His research spans theoretical computer science, mathematical linguistics and semiotics. His work in semiotics spans many years. He dies in Bucharest in 2016 at age 91.