Designs and Graphs: Volume 4

In 1988, the news of Egmont Koehler's untimely death at the age of 55
reached his friends and colleagues. It was widely felt that a lasting
memorial tribute should be organized. The result is the present volume,
containing forty-two articles, mostly in combinatorial design theory and
graph theory, and all in memory of Egmont Koehler. Designs and graphs
were his areas of particular interest; he will long be remembered for his
research on cyclic designs, Skolem sequences, t-designs and the
Oberwolfach problem. Professors Lenz and Ringel give a detailed
appreciation of Koehler's research in the first article of this
volume.There is, however, one aspect of Egmont Koehler's biography
that merits special attention. Before taking up the study of mathematics at
the age of 31, he had completed training as a musician (studying both
composition and violoncello at the Musikhochschule in Berlin), and worked
as a cellist in a symphony orchestra for some years. This accounts for his
interest in the combinatorial aspects of music. His work and lectures in
this direction had begun to attract the interest of many musicians, and he
had commenced work on a book on mathematical aspects of musical theory. It
is tragic indeed that his early death prevented the completion of his work;
the surviving paper on the classification and complexity of chords
indicates the loss that his death meant to the area, as he was almost
uniquely qualified to bring mathematics and music together, being a
professional in both fields.
 
In 1988, the news of Egmont Koehler's untimely death at the age of 55
reached his friends and colleagues. It was widely felt that a lasting
memorial tribute should be organized. The result is the present volume,
containing forty-two articles, mostly in combinatorial design theory and
graph theory, and all in memory of Egmont Koehler. Designs and graphs
were his areas of particular interest; he will long be remembered for his
research on cyclic designs, Skolem sequences, t-designs and the
Oberwolfach problem. Professors Lenz and Ringel give a detailed
appreciation of Koehler's research in the first article of this
volume.There is, however, one aspect of Egmont Koehler's biography
that merits special attention. Before taking up the study of mathematics at
the age of 31, he had completed training as a musician (studying both
composition and violoncello at the Musikhochschule in Berlin), and worked
as a cellist in a symphony orchestra for some years. This accounts for his
interest in the combinatorial aspects of music. His work and lectures in
this direction had begun to attract the interest of many musicians, and he
had commenced work on a book on mathematical aspects of musical theory. It
is tragic indeed that his early death prevented the completion of his work;
the surviving paper on the classification and complexity of chords
indicates the loss that his death meant to the area, as he was almost
uniquely qualified to bring mathematics and music together, being a
professional in both fields.