Mischa Cotlar: a Biography
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Biography A Cotlar: Mischa of 1913, of the Ukraine, youngest the Sarney, in two in Cotlar born sons Mischa was adminis- father, who His descent. Jewish of Medved, both Ovsey Sara Cotlar and passionately mathemat- interested in player, avid chess mill, tered flour was an was a emigrated Cotlars the library. 1928 In to considerable music, and had and in ics a time, Americas." At the of the Switzerland "the known Uruguay, then country as a father However, his education. formal only of had 15 and had Mischa year a was pianist. good already Mischa music• and mathematics and taught him had a was lived The four Cotlars Montevideo, the Upon arrival their poor. very to were sold father The work. had of them newspa- single and each to in crammed room, a and became motorman, tramway oldest the downtown a street son corner, at pers a thing Mr. The first harbor bar. in piano 4 4 from played the Mischa to a p.m. a.m. squeezed be had Mischa, which piano for installments) (in to bought Cotlar a was living tight already in the space. turned Mr.Cotlar assured, survival immediate their settled and they Once were Aje- Uruguaya de Sociedad of the annual the and contest chess his attention to won surprised and journalists publicity, the and much received For this he drez. were Uruguayan pseudonym of known Ovsey the Cotlar realizing that not amused a at was vendor, Ukraine-born of street real player the newspaper rather but' chess a name mathematics. gifted in have who claimed to son a Laguardia, mathematics, Rafael school of Uruguayan an of the was The founder prize-winning with the interviews read himself, the player newspa- and he avid chess Cotlar, Mr. immediately visit Laguardia Professor went to with interest. vendor per him. Mischa who introduced to Engineering. of the School the mathematics professor of Laguardia, at young a Although Sorbonne. La Picard with studied Republica, had at Universidad la de promoting main interest theory, his integration specialized he in the had was new place meeting the Montevideo in people. house His mathematics was young among xvi Biography Cotlar: Mischa A mathematics, for daily. gathered interested in students and there almost young men library seminar, He in Mischa the best mathematical had invited his town. to was Laguardia's introduced library. friends, given students and At and the to to access time, theory, the Mischa much interested in and solved number he had very was sev- problems suggested eral Grave's textbook, Sarney. in which He he had in read open Laguardia, his boy showed results completed astonished: who only that had to was a elementary actually proved of school theorems, several had and had done year one rigor, although rudimentary absolute with techniques. notations with and strange so fact, already of In proved by professional results the mathematicians, had been some something Laguardia Mischa that did know. Two later invited Mischa not to years Engineering theory teach his School seminar in the number of the at a course on Repfiblica. Universidad la de playing piano Mischa Laguardia continued 1931, the harbor bar the until when at job pianist playing him fancy trio in chamber music British Hotel in the got at a as a a Este, There, Punta played the seaside del Mischa exclusive Jaime with Toma- resort. Argentine virtuosi, of the later international reached who great sow, one renown, and become of would who friends. his closest one Spanish Rey Pastor, Professor In 1934 mathematician, Julio living the in then Aires, Buenos lecture invited developments Montevideo in the in to was on new mathematics. Those history Uruguayan landmark lectures became in of the math- a Argentina. induced ematics Mischa 1935, and In Montevideo for left he to to move Aires, Buenos become which hometown. his to was changed Buenos Aires Mischa's life in He carried letter for Profes- many ways. a Vignaux, C. immediately J. private who recommended him of mathe- tutor sor as a matics, Tutoring analytic theory introduced and who later him the functions. of to piano playing substituted for of income. source as a Mischa friends, shared small with his Tomasow the violinist the and room young a philosopher Soon Jaime arrival, Resta. after mathematics, of he students met two Sadosky, Cora Ratto multiple develop with and Manuel whom Mischa bonds. to was 1937, Yanny Frenkel, In Rey he also Pastor, Russian of later student be met to a graduates first of mathematics from the doctoral in Universidad the de Buenos one 1938, Yanny In Mischa Aires. married. and were Those deep intellectual of excitement involve- emotional and great years were corresponded Fr6chet, Mischa pub- helped Maurice with Professor him who ment. deeply lish Hinduism, philosophy, his results. In 1935 he became interested in Hindu Krishnamurty, Buddhism. In Buenos Aires and Mischa J. life- who his be met to was long Beppo Argentina, Rosario, friend. The teacher Levi and arrival of also to was significant development, they philosophical in his since shared scientific and very interests. fruitful, published interaction Their Levi Mischa's and results in very was journals Rosario, the Matheraaticae founded in he Revista del the Notae and In- two Matemdticas de stituto de Rosario. A Mischa Ricabarra, few later Rodolfo met years the mathematician with deepest established whom he of and the young most one important intellectual, philosophical, relationships and mathematical life. of his job. appointed Mischa still But academic In 1947 had he research instruc- no was Plata, Universidad National the La fired later, de six but when the months tor at was diploma. found authorities Iicial II, of After that he had World War several out no prominent George including Stone, mathematicians, Birkhoff, Marshall Adrian A. Albert, Zygmund, Argentina. Antoni visited and These visits of historic rel; were xvii Biography Cotlar: A Mischa engineer, and Calder6n, Alberto Zygmund young that met a then It was evance. recommended Birkhoff Chicago and Calder6n Mischa. to went discovered Birkhoff 1950. in Fellowship, which he Guggenheim Mischa for won a months They six 1951. spent States in United the Yanny traveled and Mischa to Kakutani. In the S. ergodic theory with studied Mischa University, where Yale at graduate accepted be stu- arranged him for Stone had to meantime, a Professor as Mischa education. formal of lack spite his Chicago, of in University of the dent at thesis, The- "On the writing Zygmund, Antoni under worked Chicago and a went to Chicago University of from the Ph.D. his received Transform." He Hilbert of the ory diploma! Finally had he 1953. in a There they returned. Argentina, and yearned for Yanny no were and Mischa Yet of the card-carrying members for Aires, except Buenos Universidad de jobs the at Nacional de Universidad forming the at However, ruling group party. was new a Mischa Monteiro. A. mathematician Portuguese was exiled by inspired Cuyo, the Investiga- Departmento de of the Institute Mathematics of the Director invited as mathematicians-- Argentine active and of the Cientfficas, where young most ciones celebrated four his Mischa There pa- exclusions--clustered. political wrote without published the in These thesis. doctoral his in expanding work done the were pers Cuyana. Matematica Revista Sciences of School the Mathematics of appointed Professor at Cotlar 1957 In was Ar- generations of shaped several There he Aires. Buenos Universidad de of the Panzone, Rafael of dissertations doctoral directed the and mathematicians gentine Although Concepci6n dur- Ballester. Ortiz, and Sadosky, Eduardo de Cora Ratto and textbooks he relatively few published two wrote period Mischa papers, ing that Seminarios "Cursos series appeared in the monographs monographs. The y three Aires, Buenos de Universidad of the of Science School Matemfitica" the from de original of results his of contained they Sadosky, and most Cora de by Ratto edited collaboration in written algebra first textbooks, the course, The time. the one on collaboration analysis, in functional other Sadosky, and the de Ratto Cora with on Press. Aires University of Buenos EUDEBA, the published by Cignoli, with R. were ordered the Illia Arturo deposed President junta military that as- 1966, July In a of the Sciences of School of the faculty students and beating of the vicious and sault hundred with four resigned--along than Cotlar Aires. Buenos de Universidad more he later A briefly Montevideo. returned members-and faculty was year to other the taught (1967-1971), also and University he at Rutgers professor appointed at (1971). Venezuela Central de Universidad (1969-70) the and Universit6 Nice de at faculty joined the Mischa Argentina, where returned Yanny In 1972 Mischa and to initi- Argentina, he in During that stay Plata. La Nacional de Universidad of the Manuel friends daughter of his Sadosky, the Cora steady with collaboration ated a deteriorating 1974, under occasionally In worked. Cora, had and with he whom a Mischa Caracas, where back Argentina, Cotlars cre- political the to situation in went Rodrigo of dissertation doctoral the directed analysis, and in ated research group a Arocena. Uni- Washington taught extensively. has He Cotlar traveled at has and lectured (1963), Uni-. College (1962), Darmouth Chicago (1958), versity University of the Ingenieria Lima (1966), Universidad de at Rep6blica Montevideo versidad de la at (1982). 1989. he In University (1967), (1972), Howard gave University and McGill Waissman of received the He Aviv. University of Tel Toeplitz Lectu#6s the the at one D.J.G. Argentina of Tecnicas Cientificas Investigaciones y Nacional de Consejo of the Prize of the Prize (1984), the and Venezuela of Ciencias Nacional de Premio (1964), the Universi- of the Professor Honorary (1950). is He Spain of Ciencias Academia de has 1987, he Since Plata.