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Leopold Vietoris (4 June 1891 – 9 April 2002) was an Austrian mathematician and a World War I veteran who gained additional fame by becoming a supercentenarian (unusual especially for a male). He was born in Radkersburg and died in Innsbruck.

He was known for his contributions to topology and other fields of mathematics, his interest in mathematical history and for being a keen alpinist. Vietoris attended the University of Vienna, where he earned his Ph.D in 1920.[1]

Biography

He studied mathematics and geometry at the Technical University in Vienna.[1] Vietoris was drafted in 1914 in World War I and was wounded in September that same year.[1] On 4 November 1918, one week pre signing The Treaty of Versailles, he became an Italian prisoner of war.[1] In autumn 1928, he married his first wife Klara Riccabona, who died while giving birth to their sixth daughter.[1] Eight years later in 1936, he married Klara's sister, Maria Riccabona.[1] She predeceased Leopold shortly before his death.

With his wife Maria Josefa Vincentia, born von Riccabona zu Reichenfels (18 July 1901 – 24 March 2002), dying at age 100, they became one of the eldest couples of the world, having the seventh highest aggregate age of a married couple (total combined age).

Vietoris is survived by his six daughters, seventeen grandchildren, and thirty great-grandchildren.[2]

He lends his name to a few mathematical concepts:

* Vietoris topology (see topological space)
* Vietoris homology (see homology theory)
* Mayer–Vietoris sequence
* Vietoris-Begle mapping theorem
* Vietoris–Rips complex

Vietoris lived to be 110 years and 309 days old, and became the oldest known Austrian man ever.