Lax was born in Budapest, Hungary to a Jewish family; his parents Klara Kornfield and Henry Lax were both physicians, and his uncle, Albert Kornfeld/Korodi, was a mathematician and a friend of Leó Szilárd.
Lax was born in Budapest, Hungary to a Jewish family. His parents Klara Kornfield and Henry Lax were both physicians. His uncle was a mathematician. His uncle was a friend of Leó Szilárd. Albert Kornfeld/Korodi was his uncle.