Department of Mathematics Annual Report 2000Ð01 Year in Review: Mathematics Instruction and Research Cornell University Þrst among private institutions in undergraduates who later earn Ph.D.s. Ithaca, New York, the home of Cornell University, is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region. It offers the cultural activities of a large university and the diversions of a rural environment. Mathematics study at Cornell is a unique experience. The university has managed to foster excellence in research without forsaking the ideals of a liberal education. In many ways, the cohesiveness and rigor of the Mathematics Department is a reßection of the Cornell tradition. John Smillie, chair Department of Mathematics Cornell University Telephone: (607) 255-4013 320 Malott Hall Fax: (607) 255-7149 Ithaca, NY 14853-4201 e-mail: [email protected] Table of Contents The Year in Review 2000–01..........................................................................1 VIGRE ..................................................................................................2 Graduate Program .....................................................................................4 Undergraduate Program ..............................................................................5 Research and Professional Activities.................................................................6 Support Sta ...........................................................................................7 Faculty Changes .......................................................................................8 Gifts .....................................................................................................9 Awards and Honors ....................................................................................9 Battig Graduate Prize; Clark Distinguished Teaching Award; Freshman Math Prize; Goldwater Scholarship; Hutchinson Fellowship; Ithaca High School Senior Prize; Kieval Prize; Liu Memo- rial Award; Magnus Memorial Prize; Sloan Research Fellowship; Steele Prize; Wallenberg Prize; York Award; Instructional Activities...............................................................................11 Curriculum Changes .................................................................................11 Interdisciplinary Instructional Activity ............................................................11 Mathematics/Engineering Liaison; Engineering Restructuring Department Publicity .................................................................................13 New Faculty Members ................................................................................14 Mathematics Course Enrollment Statistics .......................................................16 Mathematics Department Directory 2000–01 ....................................................18 Special Programs and Activities ....................................................................20 An Old Problem Solved..............................................................................20 The Math Explorers Club ...........................................................................20 Kieval Lecture ........................................................................................21 Summer Program .....................................................................................21 Spring Concert Series ................................................................................21 Topology Festival .....................................................................................22 Preparing Future Professors .........................................................................22 Expanding Your Horizons ...........................................................................23 Mathematics Awareness Month .....................................................................23 Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program ..............................................24 Centers for Mathematics Research at Cornell .....................................................25 Center for Applied Mathematics; Center for the Foundations of Intelligent Systems Mathematics Library .................................................................................25 Special Instructional Support .......................................................................27 Computer Lab; Mathematics Support Center; Learning Strategies Center NSF Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Workshop............................................28 Mathematics Education..............................................................................28 Cornell/Schools Mathematics Resource Program; Teacher Education in Agriculture, Mathematics and Science Mathematics Department Endowments ............................................................29 The Colloquium Endowment Fund; The Eleanor Norton York Endowment; The Faculty Book Endowment; The Israel Berstein Memorial Fund; The Logic Endowment; The Robert John Battig Endowment Degrees Granted 2000–01 ...........................................................................30 Department Colloquia ................................................................................34 2000–01 Faculty Publications .......................................................................42 The Faculty and their Research .....................................................................47 Faculty Proles.........................................................................................49 Visiting Faculty Program Participants .............................................................83 Sta Proles............................................................................................84 The Year in Review 2000–01 This past academic year we conducted a number of fac- berg, and Huibin Zhou received Hutchinson Fellowships ulty searches and were pleased to hire some excellent for spring 2001. Huibin Zhou received the Liu Memorial candidates. I am delighted to announce that our search Award from the Graduate School. The Robert J. Battig for a senior faculty member resulted in the appointment Graduate Prize was given to Alan Demlow, and the York of a leading probabilist, Gregory Lawler. Greg has been Award was presented to Yi Lin. at Duke University since 1979, and we are delighted that he has decided to join us at Cornell. He is an expert on Each year we award the Kieval prize to an outstand- the theory of random walks. His work was recently the ing undergraduate senior. This year it was given to subject of a popular article. (See Department Publicity, Jesse McCarthy Alt, who graduated magna cum laude p. 13, item 3). in mathematics with distinction in all subjects. Jesse will begin graduate school in fall 2001 at Boston Uni- We welcome four new H. C. Wang assistant professors versity where he will study mathematics and statistics. in July 2001: Kai-Uwe Bux (University of Frankfurt); (See also Awards and Honors, p 9.) Martin Dindos (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill); Irina Mitrea (Institute for Advanced Study in Once again, the department beneted from the hard Princeton); and Milen Yakimov (University of Califor- work of Stephen Chase as director of undergraduate nia at Berkeley). In addition, we will have two new studies (DUS). Steve served the department in the role VIGRE Assistant Professors for the 2001–02 academic of associate chair and DUS since July 1995. His ex- year: Matthew Fickus (University of Maryland, College tensive concern for and knowledge of the undergraduate Park) and Anita Mareno (Cornell University). Jason program has been a valuable asset to the department. Schweinsberg and Alexander Vladimirsky, both from the The department continues to draw upon his wisdom in University of California at Berkeley, will come to Cor- these matters as he trains his successor, Birgit Speh, nell supported by National Science Foundation postdocs. who takes oce as director of undergraduate studies on (See also New Faculty, pp. 14–15.) July 1, 2001. The visiting faculty program participants for 2000– I would also like to thank Dan Barbasch, who served as 01 were: Carolyn DeSilva from Gettysburg College; director of graduate studies (DGS) since May 1997. His William Manzer from Western Wyoming Community graduate student recruiting eorts on behalf of the de- College; Robert Piche (spring 2001) from Tampere Uni- partment were critical to our success in this rst year versity of Technology (Finland); Nancy Tisch from Cor- of our VIGRE grant. Dan took a well-deserved sabbat- nell University; and Joseph Zaks (fall 2000) from the ical in spring 2001. Louis Billera was acting DGS in University of Haifa (Israel). his absence, and Lou has agreed to continue as director of graduate studies for the coming academic year. We Our faculty received a number of prestigious honors this will continue to exploit Dan’s knowledge of the graduate year. Harry Kesten won the Leroy Steele Prize for life- program by having Dan chair a committee to review and time achievement this year. This prize was won earlier revise the introductory courses for graduate students. by Eugene Dynkin. Warwick Tucker was presented the Wallenberg Prize of the Swedish Mathematical Society. Maria Terrell completed her rst year as teaching assis- Yuri Berest received a Sloan Foundation Research Fel- tant coordinator. Maria has been active on many fronts. lowship. Jose Ramrez was given the Magnus Memorial These include her eorts to extend training and teach- Prize by the Courant Institute. Leonard