Mathematicians I Have Known
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Mathematicians I have known Michael Atiyah http://www.maths.ed.ac.uk/~aar/atiyahpg Trinity Mathematical Society Cambridge 3rd February 20 ! P1 The Michael and Lily Atiyah /ortrait 0allery 1ames Clerk Ma'well 2uilding, 3niversity o# *dinburgh The "ortraits of mathematicians dis"layed in this collection have been "ersonally selected by us. They have been chosen for many di##erent reasons, but all have been involved in our mathematical lives in one way or another; many of the individual te'ts to the gallery "ortraits e'"lain how they are related to us. First% there are famous names from the "ast ( starting with Archimedes ( who have built the great edifice of mathematics which we inhabit$ This early list could have been more numerous, but it has been restricted to those whose style is most a""ealing to us. )e't there are the many teachers, both in Edinburgh and in Cambridge% who taught us at various stages% and who directly influenced our careers. The bulk of the "ortraits are those o# our contemporaries, including some close collaborators and many Fields Medallists. +ily has a special interest in women mathematicians: they are well re"resented% both "ast and "resent$ Finally we come to the ne't generation, our students$ -f course% many of the categories overla"% with students later becoming collaborators and #riends. It was hardest to kee" the overall number down to seventy, to #it the gallery constraints! P2 4 Classical P3 Leonhard Euler 2asel 505 ( St$ /etersburg 563 The most proli#ic mathematician of any period$ His collected works in more than 53 volumes are still in the course of publication. P4 Niels Henrik Abel Frindoe 602 ( Froland 628 Abel was the first great figure to emerge in the new )orway when it freed itself from Denmark. P5 Bernhard Riemann 2reselenz% 7anover 62; ( Selasca% Italy 6;; Riemann’s name is attached to many #undamental ideas of our time$ P6 William Rowan Hamilton 9ublin 60> ( 6;> An infant "rodigy who spoke many languages at an early age$ P7 Solomon Lefschetz Moscow 66! ( /rinceton 852 Le#schetz became a mathematician quite literally by accident. P8 Hermann Weyl Elmshorn 66> ( @Arich 8>> A mathematician with wide interests and an elegant style$ P9 2) The French School P10 Élie Cartan 9olomieu 6;8 ( /aris 8> The #irst modern di##erential geometer% Cartan provided the right #ramework Bmoving #rames4 #or all subsequent work$ P11 Henri Cartan )ancy 80! ( /aris 2006 -ne of the sons of Clie Cartan% he equalled his #ather=s reputation, being the driving #orce in /aris a#ter 8!>$ P12 Jean Leray Chantenay 80; ( +a Baule 886 Leray was primarily an analyst who was interested in the di##erential equations of importance in the physical world$ P13 Jean"Pierre Serre Bages, France 82; ( The outstanding mathematician of the post-war era$ Hermann Eeyl said that Fnever be#ore have I witnessed such a brilliant ascension of a star in the Fields Medal 1954 mathematical sky as yours$G Abel Prize 2003 P14 Ale$ander %rothendieck Berlin 826 ( The whirlwind who tore through algebraic geometry and then vanished$ Fields Medal 1966 P15 3) The Cambridge School P16 Paul Dirac Bristol 802 ( Tallahassee% Florida 86! The outstanding theoretical physicist of the 20th century a#ter *instein$ Nobel Prize 1933 P17 William Hod'e *dinburgh 803 ( Cambridge 85> Creator of Hodge Theory% the #oundation stone of modern algebraic geometry$ P18 John (odd +iver"ool 806 ( Croydon 88! Famous #or the Todd polynomials in algebraic geometry$ P19 Abram Besicovitch Berdyansk 68 ( Cambridge 850 The eccentric Russian who charmed Trinity$ P20 Roger Penrose Colchester 83 ( Cosmologist, original thinker and writer$ P21 Simon Donaldson Cambridge 8>5 ( The man who opened u" #our dimensions$ Fields Medal 1986 P22 4) The Russian School P23 *srael Gelfand Krasnya 8 3 ( )ew 2runswick 2008 -ne of the outstanding #igures of 20th century mathematics. P24 Vladimir Arnold -dessa 835 ( /aris 20 0 -ne of the #ew mathematicians of modern times who was equally admired in both pure and a"plied mathematics$ P25 Sergey Novikov 0orki 836 ( The most brilliant Russian topologist of the younger generation. Fields Medal 1970 P26 >4 Trinity Contem"oraries P27 Frank Adams Eoolwich 83 ( 7untingdon 868 The climbing topologist with a "ower#ul algebraic punch$ P28 *an Macdonald +ondon 826 ( An algebraic virtuoso and a master of beauti#ul #ormulae$ P29 James -ackay Edinburgh 825 ( Scottish mathematician turned lawyer who ended up as +ord Chancellor. P30 ;4 MFA collaborators P31 Raoul Bott Buda"est 823 ( California 200> A charismatic #igure: everyone=s #avourite geometer. P32 Friedrich Hirzebruch 7amm 825 ( Bonn 20 2 The biggest #igure in mathematics in post-war 0ermany$ P33 Vi.ay #atodi 0una% India 8!> ( 2ombay 85; A brilliant and original young Indian who died tragically early$ P34 Michael Atiyah / Isadore Sin'er +ondon 828 ( I 9etroit 82! ( Shared the Abel /ri:e in 200!$ Fields Medal 1966 Abel Prize 2004 P35 5) Mathematical women P36 Philippa Fawcett Cambridge 6;6 ( +ondon 8!6 The woman who beat the men at their own game$ P37 %race hisholm 7aslemere 6;6 ( Croydon 8!! 0race Chisholm was% in 188>% the #irst female student at Göttingen to be awarded a Ph$9$ P38 Dusa -cDuff Edinburgh 8!> ( 9usa Mc9u## with husband 1ohn Milnor BFields Medal 8;24 P39 Harold 1 Bertha Jeffreys Fatfield 68 ( Cambridge 868 I )orthampton 803 ( Cambridge 888 A #amous Cambridge mathematical "air P40 Mary Cartwright Aynho% )orthamptonshire 800 - I Cambridge 886 First #emale mathematician to become an FRS P41 Michael & Lily Atiyah +ondon 828 - I Edinburgh 826 D -riginators of this portrait gallery of mathematicians P42 6) Special P43 Shiin'"Shen hern / James Simons 1ia'ing 8 ( Tianjin 200! I )ewton% Massachussetts 836 - A productive partnership #or geometry and #inance$ P44.