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.
La de Nacional
Universidad
the
and
Aires
Buenos dad
de
Naturales
Fisicas
Exactas, Ciencias y Nacional
de
Academia
of the member been a
Argentina. of
international
the in involved intensely
Cotlar
1956--1966
period was
During the
Cora
with
founded
1961, he In
scientists. responsibility
of
social
the
for movement
Resposabilidad
Argentina
la
Sociedad
por
the Bunge,
Mario and
Sadosky
de
Ratto
Mathe-
of Congress
International
the carried
to 1962, he
In
Ciencia.
la de Social
of noncooperation
urging the
Russell's
letter
Bertrand
Stockholm,
in held maticians,
de Ratto Cora again
with 1964,
In establishment.
military
the
with mathematicians
devoted
newsletter 10,
Columna
coedited
Bullrich,
he a Francisco
with Sadosky and
politics.
He
international
technology
and
science on of
impact
analysis
the
of
the
to
which
Einstein,
Fundaci6n Alberto sup-
the of
directors
of board
the
also
on
was
Buenos Universidad de
of the.
Sciences of School
the from students
talented
ported
scientists
Argentine
distinguished
re-
became later people who
Many Aires. young
fellowships.
Einstein Fundaci6n
ceived
Argentina in
in democracy of
the and, since return
Caracas,
in works
Cotlar
now
Aires.
Buenos
periodically
in
taught
1984, has he
Argentini-
themselves consider Russia,
in
born both
although
Yanny, and
Mischa
into
well
fits Mischa's life
adopted
country,
his
for
devotion
stubborn his
With
ans.
the For Passion. Argentine
of
Story
The
novel
classic
an Mallea's
Arturo of title
the
math-
Venezuelan Argentine and
of
development
the in had
has influence
he
deep
their
him claim
own. Americans
to as Latin
pride for is it ematicians, a
J.G. D.