David George Schaeffer (October 6, 1942 – March 20, 2026) was an American mathematician.
Early life and career Schaeffer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 6, 1942, the son of John Schaeffer and Gertrude Berdard. He attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, earning his BS degree in 1963. He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning his PhD degree in mathematics in 1968.
Schaeffer served as a professor in the department of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1970 to 1978. He then served as a professor in the same department at Duke University from 1978 to 2012. During his years as a professor, in 1990, he was named the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Mathematics.
Personal life and death In 1982, Schaeffer married Jennie Mae Guffey. Their marriage ended in divorce.
Schaeffer died of a brain tumor at the Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on March 20, 2026, at the age of 83.
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