James Glimm - a Biographical Sketch

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

James Glimm - a Biographical Sketch James Glimm - a biographical sketch James Glimm was born in 1934 in Peoria, Illinois. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Columbia University in 1959. He has made deep and original contributions in a variety of areas in both pure and applied mathematics. His early work in the theory of operator algebras was fundamental, and today the "Glimm algebras" that bear his name continue to play an important role in this vibrant area of research. In mathematical physics, Glimm worked on problems in quantum field theory, quantum statistical mechanics, shock wave theory, and scientific computation. His seminal paper \Solutions in the large for nonlinear hyperbolic systems of equations", Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 18 (1965), remains to this day the foundation for our understanding of hyperbolic conservation laws. It starts with a strikingly new insight of the interaction among elementary waves, and proceeds by constructing the \Glimm interaction functional", which controls the total variation of weak solutions. Ideas introduced in this paper have provided the basic analytical tools for generations of researchers in the field. Throughout the 1970's, Glimm made important contributions to quantum field theory, but after 1980 he returned to hyperbolic conservation laws and worked actively, as the leader of a group of young applied mathematicians, on the computation of multi-dimensional solutions and on various applications. Glimm was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1984. Starting in January 2007, he served a 2-year term as president of the American Mathematical Society. He was an Invited Speaker of the ICM in 1970 at Nice, and a Plenary Speaker of the ICM in 1974 at Vancouver. In 1993, Glimm was awarded the Leroy P. Steele Prize for his contribution to solving hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations. In 2002 he won the National Medal of Science "For his original approaches and creative contribution to an array of disciplines in mathematical analysis and mathematical physics". This is the country's highest honor for research in mathematics and science. 1.
Recommended publications
  • R Mathematics Esearch Eports
    Mathematics r research reports M r Boris Hasselblatt, Svetlana Katok, Michele Benzi, Dmitry Burago, Alessandra Celletti, Tobias Holck Colding, Brian Conrey, Josselin Garnier, Timothy Gowers, Robert Griess, Linus Kramer, Barry Mazur, Walter Neumann, Alexander Olshanskii, Christopher Sogge, Benjamin Sudakov, Hugh Woodin, Yuri Zarhin, Tamar Ziegler Editorial Volume 1 (2020), p. 1-3. <http://mrr.centre-mersenne.org/item/MRR_2020__1__1_0> © The journal and the authors, 2020. Some rights reserved. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Mathematics Research Reports is member of the Centre Mersenne for Open Scientific Publishing www.centre-mersenne.org Mathema tics research reports Volume 1 (2020), 1–3 Editorial This is the inaugural volume of Mathematics Research Reports, a journal owned by mathematicians, and dedicated to the principles of fair open access and academic self- determination. Articles in Mathematics Research Reports are freely available for a world-wide audi- ence, with no author publication charges (diamond open access) but high production value, thanks to financial support from the Anatole Katok Center for Dynamical Sys- tems and Geometry at the Pennsylvania State University and to the infrastructure of the Centre Mersenne. The articles in MRR are research announcements of significant ad- vances in all branches of mathematics, short complete papers of original research (up to about 15 journal pages), and review articles (up to about 30 journal pages). They communicate their contents to a broad mathematical audience and should meet high standards for mathematical content and clarity. The entire Editorial Board approves the acceptance of any paper for publication, and appointments to the board are made by the board itself.
    [Show full text]
  • Hyberbolic Systems of Conservation Laws and the Mathematical Theory of Shock Waves CBMS-NSF REGIONAL CONFERENCE SERIES in APPLIED MATHEMATICS
    Hyberbolic Systems of Conservation Laws and the Mathematical Theory of Shock Waves CBMS-NSF REGIONAL CONFERENCE SERIES IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS A series of lectures on topics of current research interest in applied mathematics under the direction of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences, supported by the National Science Foundation and published by SIAM. GARRETT BIRKHOFF, The Numerical Solution of Elliptic Equations D. V. LINDLEY, Bayesian Statistics, A Review R. S. VARGA, Functional Analysis and Approximation Theory in Numerical Analysis R. R. BAHADUR, Some Limit Theorems in Statistics PATRICK BILLINGSLEY, Weak Convergence of Measures: Applications in Probability J. L. LIONS, Some Aspects of the Optimal Control of Distributed Parameter Systems ROGER PENROSE, Techniques of Differential Topology in Relativity HERMAN CHERNOFF, Sequential Analysis and Optimal Design J. DURBIN, Distribution Theory for Tests Based on the Sample Distribution Function SOL I. RUBINOW, Mathematical Problems in the Biological Sciences P. D. LAX, Hyperbolic Systems of Conservation Laws and the Mathematical Theory of Shock Waves I. J. SCHOENBERG, Cardinal Spline Interpolation IVAN SINGER, The Theory of Best Approximation and Functional Analysis WERNER C. RHEINBOLDT, Methods of Solving Systems of Nonlinear Equations HANS F. WEINBERGER, Variational Methods for Eigenvalue Approximation R. TYRRELL ROCKAFELLAR, Conjugate Duality and Optimization SIR JAMES LIGHTHILL, Mathematical Biofluiddynamics GERARD SALTON, Theory of Indexing CATHLEEN S. MORAWETZ, Notes on Time Decay and Scattering for Some Hyperbolic Problems F. HOPPENSTEADT, Mathematical Theories of Populations: Demographics, Genetics and Epidemics RICHARD ASKEY, Orthogonal Polynomials and Special Functions L. E. PAYNE, Improperly Posed Problems in Partial Differential Equations S. ROSEN, Lectures on the Measurement and Evaluation of the Performance of Computing Systems HERBERT B.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2009 - 2010
    Annual Report 2009 - 2010 Department of Mathematics, Tucson, AZ 85721 • 520.626.6145 • ime.math.arizona.edu Table of Contents About the Institute 1 Ongoing Programs 2 Arizona Teacher Initiative (ATI) 2 Untangling KnoTSS 2 Tucson Math Circle 3 Tucson Teachers’ Circle 3 Graduate Students and Teachers Engaging in Mathematical Sciences (G-TEAMS) 4 The Intel Math Program 5 2009-2010 Events 6 2009 State of Education 6 Math League Contest 6 Mapping the Calculus Curriculum Workshop 6 Mathematicians in Mathematics Education (MIME) 6 2010-2011 Events 8 Progressions Workshop 8 Knowledge of Mathematics for Teaching at the Secondary Level 8 Mathematicians in Mathematics Education (MIME) 9 The Illustrative Mathematics Project 9 Featured Programs 10 People 14 ii Annual Report, 2009 - 2010 About the Institute Our Vision The Institute was created in 2006 by William McCallum, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the University of Arizona. The principal mission of the Institute is to support local, national, and international projects in mathematics education, from kindergarten to college, that pay attention to both the mathematics and the students, have practical application to current needs, build on existing knowledge, and are grounded in the work of teachers. The Need Mathematics is crucial for innovation in science, technology and engineering; competitiveness in a global workforce, and informed participation in democratic government. Three decades of reports, from the Department of Education’s A Nation at Risk (1983) to the National Academies’ Rising Above the Gathering Storm (2006) offer ample evidence for the need to improve mathematics education in the United States. Our Approach The problems of mathematics education cannot be solved by one group alone.
    [Show full text]
  • The Legacy of Norbert Wiener: a Centennial Symposium
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1090/pspum/060 Selected Titles in This Series 60 David Jerison, I. M. Singer, and Daniel W. Stroock, Editors, The legacy of Norbert Wiener: A centennial symposium (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, October 1994) 59 William Arveson, Thomas Branson, and Irving Segal, Editors, Quantization, nonlinear partial differential equations, and operator algebra (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, June 1994) 58 Bill Jacob and Alex Rosenberg, Editors, K-theory and algebraic geometry: Connections with quadratic forms and division algebras (University of California, Santa Barbara, July 1992) 57 Michael C. Cranston and Mark A. Pinsky, Editors, Stochastic analysis (Cornell University, Ithaca, July 1993) 56 William J. Haboush and Brian J. Parshall, Editors, Algebraic groups and their generalizations (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, July 1991) 55 Uwe Jannsen, Steven L. Kleiman, and Jean-Pierre Serre, Editors, Motives (University of Washington, Seattle, July/August 1991) 54 Robert Greene and S. T. Yau, Editors, Differential geometry (University of California, Los Angeles, July 1990) 53 James A. Carlson, C. Herbert Clemens, and David R. Morrison, Editors, Complex geometry and Lie theory (Sundance, Utah, May 1989) 52 Eric Bedford, John P. D'Angelo, Robert E. Greene, and Steven G. Krantz, Editors, Several complex variables and complex geometry (University of California, Santa Cruz, July 1989) 51 William B. Arveson and Ronald G. Douglas, Editors, Operator theory/operator algebras and applications (University of New Hampshire, July 1988) 50 James Glimm, John Impagliazzo, and Isadore Singer, Editors, The legacy of John von Neumann (Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, May/June 1988) 49 Robert C. Gunning and Leon Ehrenpreis, Editors, Theta functions - Bowdoin 1987 (Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, July 1987) 48 R.
    [Show full text]
  • Council Congratulates Exxon Education Foundation
    from.qxp 4/27/98 3:17 PM Page 1315 From the AMS ics. The Exxon Education Foundation funds programs in mathematics education, elementary and secondary school improvement, undergraduate general education, and un- dergraduate developmental education. —Timothy Goggins, AMS Development Officer AMS Task Force Receives Two Grants The AMS recently received two new grants in support of its Task Force on Excellence in Mathematical Scholarship. The Task Force is carrying out a program of focus groups, site visits, and information gathering aimed at developing (left to right) Edward Ahnert, president of the Exxon ways for mathematical sciences departments in doctoral Education Foundation, AMS President Cathleen institutions to work more effectively. With an initial grant Morawetz, and Robert Witte, senior program officer for of $50,000 from the Exxon Education Foundation, the Task Exxon. Force began its work by organizing a number of focus groups. The AMS has now received a second grant of Council Congratulates Exxon $50,000 from the Exxon Education Foundation, as well as a grant of $165,000 from the National Science Foundation. Education Foundation For further information about the work of the Task Force, see “Building Excellence in Doctoral Mathematics De- At the Summer Mathfest in Burlington in August, the AMS partments”, Notices, November/December 1995, pages Council passed a resolution congratulating the Exxon Ed- 1170–1171. ucation Foundation on its fortieth anniversary. AMS Pres- ident Cathleen Morawetz presented the resolution during —Timothy Goggins, AMS Development Officer the awards banquet to Edward Ahnert, president of the Exxon Education Foundation, and to Robert Witte, senior program officer with Exxon.
    [Show full text]
  • Mathematical Sciences Meetings and Conferences Section
    OTICES OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Richard M. Schoen Awarded 1989 Bacher Prize page 225 Everybody Counts Summary page 227 MARCH 1989, VOLUME 36, NUMBER 3 Providence, Rhode Island, USA ISSN 0002-9920 Calendar of AMS Meetings and Conferences This calendar lists all meetings which have been approved prior to Mathematical Society in the issue corresponding to that of the Notices the date this issue of Notices was sent to the press. The summer which contains the program of the meeting. Abstracts should be sub­ and annual meetings are joint meetings of the Mathematical Associ­ mitted on special forms which are available in many departments of ation of America and the American Mathematical Society. The meet­ mathematics and from the headquarters office of the Society. Ab­ ing dates which fall rather far in the future are subject to change; this stracts of papers to be presented at the meeting must be received is particularly true of meetings to which no numbers have been as­ at the headquarters of the Society in Providence, Rhode Island, on signed. Programs of the meetings will appear in the issues indicated or before the deadline given below for the meeting. Note that the below. First and supplementary announcements of the meetings will deadline for abstracts for consideration for presentation at special have appeared in earlier issues. sessions is usually three weeks earlier than that specified below. For Abstracts of papers presented at a meeting of the Society are pub­ additional information, consult the meeting announcements and the lished in the journal Abstracts of papers presented to the American list of organizers of special sessions.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction . 2 Chapter 2 Organization and Establishment . 3 Chapter 3 Early Years . 5 Chapter 4 Operation, Expansion and Emergence . 8 Chapter 5 Meetings, Conferences and Workshops . 13 Chapter 6 SIAM’s Journals Fulfill a Mission . 15 Chapter 7 The Book Publishing Program . 19 Chapter 8 Commitment to Education . 22 Chapter 9 Recognizing Excellence . 25 Chapter 10 Leadership . 29 2 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION One of the most significant factors affecting the increasing demand for mathematicians during the early 1950s was the development of the electronic digital computer. The ENIAC was developed in Philadelphia in 1946. Origins A Need Arises Mathematicians In the years during and especially One of the most significant eventually began following the Second World War, the factors affecting this increas- working with engi- nation experienced a surge in industri- ing demand for mathemati- neers and scientists al and military research and the devel- cians during the early 1950s more frequently, in opment of related technology, thus was the development of the a wider variety of creating a need for improved mathe- electronic digital computer. areas, including matical and computational methods. One of the first, the ENIAC, software develop- To illustrate, in 1938, there were about was completed in 1946. As An ad that appeared in the ment, trajectory 850 mathematicians and statisticians early as 1933, scientists, engi- SIAM NEWSLETTER May, 1956 simulations, com- employed by the federal government. neers and mathematicians at puter design, vibra- By 1954, however, that number nearly the Moore School of Electrical tion studies, structural and mechanical quadrupled to 3200.
    [Show full text]
  • Glimm and Witten Receive National Medal of Science, Volume 51, Number 2
    Glimm and Witten Receive National Medal of Science On October 22, 2003, President Bush named eight of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers to receive the National Medal of Science. The medal is the nation’s highest honor for achievement in sci- ence, mathematics, and engineering. The medal James G. Glimm Edward Witten also recognizes contributions to innovation, in- dustry, or education. Columbia University in 1959. He is the Distin- Among the awardees are two who work in the guished Leading Professor of Mathematics at the mathematical sciences, JAMES G. GLIMM and EDWARD State University of New York at Stony Brook. WITTEN. Edward Witten James G. Glimm Witten is a world leader in “string theory”, an attempt Glimm has made outstanding contributions to by physicists to describe in one unified way all the shock wave theory, in which mathematical models known forces of nature as well as to understand are developed to explain natural phenomena that nature at the most basic level. Witten’s contributions involve intense compression, such as air pressure while at the Institute for Advanced Study have set in sonic booms, crust displacement in earthquakes, the agenda for many developments, such as progress and density of material in volcanic eruptions and in “dualities”, which suggest that all known string other explosions. Glimm also has been a leading theories are related. theorist in operator algebras, partial differential Witten’s earliest papers produced advances in equations, mathematical physics, applied mathe- quantum chromodynamics (QCD), a theory that matics, and quantum statistical mechanics. describes the interactions among the fundamental Glimm’s work in quantum field theory and particles (quarks and gluons) that make up all statistical mechanics had a major impact on atomic nuclei.
    [Show full text]
  • March 1995 Council Minutes
    AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY COUNCIL MINUTES 25 March 1995 7:00 PM Chicago, Illinois Abstract The Council of the American Mathematical Society met at 7:00 PM on Saturday, 25 March 1995, in the Shedd Room in the Hyatt on Printer’s Row, 500 South Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois. Members present during at least some portion of the meeting: Georgia Benkart, Robert Fossum, John Franks, William Fulton, James Hyman, Svetlana Katok, Ir- win Kra, Robert Lazarsfeld, James Lepowsky, Andy Magid (Associate Secretary of record), Jerrold Marsden, Cathleen Morawetz, Frank Morgan, Anil Nerode, Franklin Peterson, Marc Rieffel, Cora Sadosky, Norberto Salinas, Peter Shalen, Alice Silverberg, B. A. Taylor, Jean Taylor, Sylvia Wiegand, and Susan Williams. Official Guests: Salah Baouendi (CPROF Chair), Chandler Davis (CMS rep), James Donaldson, John Ewing (incoming ED), William Jaco (Executive Director), Susan Montgomery (BT member), Mary Beth Ruskai (JCW Chair), Lance Small (Assoc Sec), and Kelly Young (Assistant to the Secretary). 1 2 CONTENTS Contents I AGENDA 4 0 CALL TO ORDER AND INTRODUCTIONS. 4 0.1CalltoOrder......................................... 4 0.2IntroductionofNewCouncilMembers........................... 4 1 MINUTES 4 1.1January95Council..................................... 4 1.2August94Council...................................... 5 1.3MinutesofBusinessByMail............................... 5 1.3.1 Election to the Executive Committee. .................. 5 1.3.2 EthicalGuidelines.................................. 5 2 CONSENT AGENDA. 5 2.1 Resolution of thanks to William H. Jaco. .................. 5 3 REPORTS OF BOARDS AND STANDING COMMITTEES. 6 3.1EBC............................................. 6 3.1.1 Mathematical Surveys Editorial Committee. .................. 6 3.1.2 Mathematical Reviews Editorial Committee. .................. 6 3.1.3 Proceedings Editorial Committee. .................. 6 3.2 Nominating Committee. ......................... 6 3.2.1 President...................................... 7 3.2.2 Vice-president..................................
    [Show full text]
  • Joe Keller and the Courant Institute 1970-71: Beginning a Mathematical Journey
    Joe Keller and the Courant Institute 1970-71: Beginning a Mathematical Journey Brian Sleeman School of Mathematics, University of Leeds,/Division of Mathematics, University of Dundee Mathematics in the Spirit of Joseph Keller, Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge, 2-3 March, 2017 Brian Sleeman Joe Keller and the Courant Institute 1970-71: Beginning a Mathematical Journey The Watson Transformation in Obstacle Scattering Validity of the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction Inverse Problems Nagumo Equation Nerve Impulse Propagation Outline The Courant Institute 1970-71 Brian Sleeman Joe Keller and the Courant Institute 1970-71: Beginning a Mathematical Journey Validity of the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction Inverse Problems Nagumo Equation Nerve Impulse Propagation Outline The Courant Institute 1970-71 The Watson Transformation in Obstacle Scattering Brian Sleeman Joe Keller and the Courant Institute 1970-71: Beginning a Mathematical Journey Inverse Problems Nagumo Equation Nerve Impulse Propagation Outline The Courant Institute 1970-71 The Watson Transformation in Obstacle Scattering Validity of the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction Brian Sleeman Joe Keller and the Courant Institute 1970-71: Beginning a Mathematical Journey Nagumo Equation Nerve Impulse Propagation Outline The Courant Institute 1970-71 The Watson Transformation in Obstacle Scattering Validity of the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction Inverse Problems Brian Sleeman Joe Keller and the Courant Institute 1970-71: Beginning a Mathematical Journey Nerve Impulse Propagation Outline The
    [Show full text]
  • Officers and Committee Members AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
    Officers and Committee Members Numbers to the left of headings are used as points of reference 1.1. Liaison Committee in an index to AMS committees which follows this listing. Primary and secondary headings are: All members of this committee serve ex officio. Chair George E. Andrews 1. Officers John B. Conway 1.1. Liaison Committee Robert J. Daverman 2. Council John M. Franks 2.1. Executive Committee of the Council 3. Board of Trustees 4. Committees 4.1. Committees of the Council 4.2. Editorial Committees 2. Council 4.3. Committees of the Board of Trustees 4.4. Committees of the Executive Committee and Board of 2.0.1. Officers of the AMS Trustees President George E. Andrews 2010 4.5. Internal Organization of the AMS Immediate Past President 4.6. Program and Meetings James G. Glimm 2009 Vice President Robert L. Bryant 2009 4.7. Status of the Profession Frank Morgan 2010 4.8. Prizes and Awards Bernd Sturmfels 2010 4.9. Institutes and Symposia Secretary Robert J. Daverman 2010 4.10. Joint Committees Associate Secretaries* Susan J. Friedlander 2009 5. Representatives Michel L. Lapidus 2009 6. Index Matthew Miller 2010 Terms of members expire on January 31 following the year given Steven Weintraub 2010 unless otherwise specified. Treasurer John M. Franks 2010 Associate Treasurer Linda Keen 2010 2.0.2. Representatives of Committees 1. Officers Bulletin Susan J. Friedlander 2011 Colloquium Paul J. Sally, Jr. 2011 President George E. Andrews 2010 Executive Committee Sylvain E. Cappell 2009 Immediate Past President Journal of the AMS Karl Rubin 2013 James G.
    [Show full text]
  • Short Steps in Noncommutative Geometry
    SHORT STEPS IN NONCOMMUTATIVE GEOMETRY AHMAD ZAINY AL-YASRY Abstract. Noncommutative geometry (NCG) is a branch of mathematics concerned with a geo- metric approach to noncommutative algebras, and with the construction of spaces that are locally presented by noncommutative algebras of functions (possibly in some generalized sense). A noncom- mutative algebra is an associative algebra in which the multiplication is not commutative, that is, for which xy does not always equal yx; or more generally an algebraic structure in which one of the principal binary operations is not commutative; one also allows additional structures, e.g. topology or norm, to be possibly carried by the noncommutative algebra of functions. These notes just to start understand what we need to study Noncommutative Geometry. Contents 1. Noncommutative geometry 4 1.1. Motivation 4 1.2. Noncommutative C∗-algebras, von Neumann algebras 4 1.3. Noncommutative differentiable manifolds 5 1.4. Noncommutative affine and projective schemes 5 1.5. Invariants for noncommutative spaces 5 2. Algebraic geometry 5 2.1. Zeros of simultaneous polynomials 6 2.2. Affine varieties 7 2.3. Regular functions 7 2.4. Morphism of affine varieties 8 2.5. Rational function and birational equivalence 8 2.6. Projective variety 9 2.7. Real algebraic geometry 10 2.8. Abstract modern viewpoint 10 2.9. Analytic Geometry 11 3. Vector field 11 3.1. Definition 11 3.2. Example 12 3.3. Gradient field 13 3.4. Central field 13 arXiv:1901.03640v1 [math.OA] 9 Jan 2019 3.5. Operations on vector fields 13 3.6. Flow curves 14 3.7.
    [Show full text]