Group Knowledge and Mathematical Collaboration: a Philosophical Examination of the Classification of Finite Simple Groups
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
A MATHEMATICIAN's SURVIVAL GUIDE 1. an Algebra Teacher I
A MATHEMATICIAN’S SURVIVAL GUIDE PETER G. CASAZZA 1. An Algebra Teacher I could Understand Emmy award-winning journalist and bestselling author Cokie Roberts once said: As long as algebra is taught in school, there will be prayer in school. 1.1. An Object of Pride. Mathematician’s relationship with the general public most closely resembles “bipolar” disorder - at the same time they admire us and hate us. Almost everyone has had at least one bad experience with mathematics during some part of their education. Get into any taxi and tell the driver you are a mathematician and the response is predictable. First, there is silence while the driver relives his greatest nightmare - taking algebra. Next, you will hear the immortal words: “I was never any good at mathematics.” My response is: “I was never any good at being a taxi driver so I went into mathematics.” You can learn a lot from taxi drivers if you just don’t tell them you are a mathematician. Why get started on the wrong foot? The mathematician David Mumford put it: “I am accustomed, as a professional mathematician, to living in a sort of vacuum, surrounded by people who declare with an odd sort of pride that they are mathematically illiterate.” 1.2. A Balancing Act. The other most common response we get from the public is: “I can’t even balance my checkbook.” This reflects the fact that the public thinks that mathematics is basically just adding numbers. They have no idea what we really do. Because of the textbooks they studied, they think that all needed mathematics has already been discovered. -
MY UNFORGETTABLE EARLY YEARS at the INSTITUTE Enstitüde Unutulmaz Erken Yıllarım
MY UNFORGETTABLE EARLY YEARS AT THE INSTITUTE Enstitüde Unutulmaz Erken Yıllarım Dinakar Ramakrishnan `And what was it like,’ I asked him, `meeting Eliot?’ `When he looked at you,’ he said, `it was like standing on a quay, watching the prow of the Queen Mary come towards you, very slowly.’ – from `Stern’ by Seamus Heaney in memory of Ted Hughes, about the time he met T.S.Eliot It was a fortunate stroke of serendipity for me to have been at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, twice during the nineteen eighties, first as a Post-doctoral member in 1982-83, and later as a Sloan Fellow in the Fall of 1986. I had the privilege of getting to know Robert Langlands at that time, and, needless to say, he has had a larger than life influence on me. It wasn’t like two ships passing in the night, but more like a rowboat feeling the waves of an oncoming ship. Langlands and I did not have many conversations, but each time we did, he would make a Zen like remark which took me a long time, at times months (or even years), to comprehend. Once or twice it even looked like he was commenting not on the question I posed, but on a tangential one; however, after much reflection, it became apparent that what he had said had an interesting bearing on what I had been wondering about, and it always provided a new take, at least to me, on the matter. Most importantly, to a beginner in the field like I was then, he was generous to a fault, always willing, whenever asked, to explain the subtle aspects of his own work. -
Sir Andrew J. Wiles
ISSN 0002-9920 (print) ISSN 1088-9477 (online) of the American Mathematical Society March 2017 Volume 64, Number 3 Women's History Month Ad Honorem Sir Andrew J. Wiles page 197 2018 Leroy P. Steele Prize: Call for Nominations page 195 Interview with New AMS President Kenneth A. Ribet page 229 New York Meeting page 291 Sir Andrew J. Wiles, 2016 Abel Laureate. “The definition of a good mathematical problem is the mathematics it generates rather Notices than the problem itself.” of the American Mathematical Society March 2017 FEATURES 197 239229 26239 Ad Honorem Sir Andrew J. Interview with New The Graduate Student Wiles AMS President Kenneth Section Interview with Abel Laureate Sir A. Ribet Interview with Ryan Haskett Andrew J. Wiles by Martin Raussen and by Alexander Diaz-Lopez Allyn Jackson Christian Skau WHAT IS...an Elliptic Curve? Andrew Wiles's Marvelous Proof by by Harris B. Daniels and Álvaro Henri Darmon Lozano-Robledo The Mathematical Works of Andrew Wiles by Christopher Skinner In this issue we honor Sir Andrew J. Wiles, prover of Fermat's Last Theorem, recipient of the 2016 Abel Prize, and star of the NOVA video The Proof. We've got the official interview, reprinted from the newsletter of our friends in the European Mathematical Society; "Andrew Wiles's Marvelous Proof" by Henri Darmon; and a collection of articles on "The Mathematical Works of Andrew Wiles" assembled by guest editor Christopher Skinner. We welcome the new AMS president, Ken Ribet (another star of The Proof). Marcelo Viana, Director of IMPA in Rio, describes "Math in Brazil" on the eve of the upcoming IMO and ICM. -
Robert P. Langlands Receives the Abel Prize
Robert P. Langlands receives the Abel Prize The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has decided to award the Abel Prize for 2018 to Robert P. Langlands of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA “for his visionary program connecting representation theory to number theory.” Robert P. Langlands has been awarded the Abel Prize project in modern mathematics has as wide a scope, has for his work dating back to January 1967. He was then produced so many deep results, and has so many people a 30-year-old associate professor at Princeton, working working on it. Its depth and breadth have grown and during the Christmas break. He wrote a 17-page letter the Langlands program is now frequently described as a to the great French mathematician André Weil, aged 60, grand unified theory of mathematics. outlining some of his new mathematical insights. The President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and “If you are willing to read it as pure speculation I would Letters, Ole M. Sejersted, announced the winner of the appreciate that,” he wrote. “If not – I am sure you have a 2018 Abel Prize at the Academy in Oslo today, 20 March. waste basket handy.” Biography Fortunately, the letter did not end up in a waste basket. His letter introduced a theory that created a completely Robert P. Langlands was born in New Westminster, new way of thinking about mathematics: it suggested British Columbia, in 1936. He graduated from the deep links between two areas, number theory and University of British Columbia with an undergraduate harmonic analysis, which had previously been considered degree in 1957 and an MSc in 1958, and from Yale as unrelated. -
Commodity and Energy Markets Conference at Oxford University
Commodity and Energy Markets Conference Annual Meeting 2017 th th 14 - 15 June Page | 1 Commodity and Energy Markets Conference Contents Welcome 3 Essential Information 4 Bird’s-eye view of programme 6 Detailed programme 8 Venue maps 26 Mezzanine level of Andrew Wiles Building 27 Local Information 28 List of Participants 29 Keynote Speakers 33 Academic journals: special issues 34 Sponsors 35 Page | 2 Welcome On behalf of the Mathematical Institute, it is our great pleasure to welcome you to the University of Oxford for the Commodity and Energy Markets annual conference (2017). The Commodity and Energy Markets annual conference 2017 is the latest in a long standing series of meetings. Our first workshop was held in London in 2004, and after that we expanded the scope and held yearly conferences in different locations across Europe. Nowadays, the Commodity and Energy Markets conference is the benchmark meeting for academics who work in this area. This year’s event covers a wide range of topics in commodities and energy. We highlight three keynote talks. Prof Hendrik Bessembinder (Arizona State University) will talk on “Measuring returns to those who invest in energy through futures”, and Prof Sebastian Jaimungal (University of Toronto) will talk about “Stochastic Control in Commodity & Energy Markets: Model Uncertainty, Algorithmic Trading, and Future Directions”. Moreover, Tony Cocker, E.ON’s Chief Executive Officer, will share his views and insights into the role of mathematical modelling in the energy industry. In addition to the over 100 talks, a panel of academics and professional experts will discuss “The future of energy trading in the UK and Europe: a single energy market?” The roundtable is sponsored by the Italian Association of Energy Suppliers and Traders (AIGET) and European Energy Retailers (EER). -
Math Spans All Dimensions
March 2000 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA Math Spans All Dimensions April 2000 is Math Awareness Month Interactive version of the complete poster is available at: http://mam2000.mathforum.com/ FOCUS March 2000 FOCUS is published by the Mathematical Association of America in January. February. March. April. May/June. August/September. FOCUS October. November. and December. a Editor: Fernando Gouvea. Colby College; March 2000 [email protected] Managing Editor: Carol Baxter. MAA Volume 20. Number 3 [email protected] Senior Writer: Harry Waldman. MAA In This Issue [email protected] Please address advertising inquiries to: 3 "Math Spans All Dimensions" During April Math Awareness Carol Baxter. MAA; [email protected] Month President: Thomas Banchoff. Brown University 3 Felix Browder Named Recipient of National Medal of Science First Vice-President: Barbara Osofsky. By Don Albers Second Vice-President: Frank Morgan. Secretary: Martha Siegel. Treasurer: Gerald 4 Updating the NCTM Standards J. Porter By Kenneth A. Ross Executive Director: Tina Straley 5 A Different Pencil Associate Executive Director and Direc Moving Our Focus from Teachers to Students tor of Publications and Electronic Services: Donald J. Albers By Ed Dubinsky FOCUS Editorial Board: Gerald 6 Mathematics Across the Curriculum at Dartmouth Alexanderson; Donna Beers; J. Kevin By Dorothy I. Wallace Colligan; Ed Dubinsky; Bill Hawkins; Dan Kalman; Maeve McCarthy; Peter Renz; Annie 7 ARUME is the First SIGMAA Selden; Jon Scott; Ravi Vakil. Letters to the editor should be addressed to 8 Read This! Fernando Gouvea. Colby College. Dept. of Mathematics. Waterville. ME 04901. 8 Raoul Bott and Jean-Pierre Serre Share the Wolf Prize Subscription and membership questions 10 Call For Papers should be directed to the MAA Customer Thirteenth Annual MAA Undergraduate Student Paper Sessions Service Center. -
Andrew Wiles and Fermat's Last Theorem
Andrew Wiles and Fermat's Last Theorem Ton Yeh A great figure in modern mathematics Sir Andrew Wiles is renowned throughout the world for having cracked the problem first posed by Fermat in 1637: the non-existence of positive integer solutions to an + bn = cn for n ≥ 3. Wiles' famous journey towards his proof { the surprising connection with elliptic curves, the apparent success, the discovery of an error, the despondency, and then the flash of inspiration which saved the day { is known to layman and professional mathematician alike. Therefore, the fact that Sir Andrew spent his undergraduate years at Merton College is a great honour for us. In this article we discuss simple number-theoretic ideas relating to Fermat's Last Theorem, which may be of interest to current or prospective students, or indeed to members of the public. Easier aspects of Fermat's Last Theorem It goes without saying that the non-expert will have a tough time getting to grips with Andrew Wiles' proof. What follows, therefore, is a sketch of much simpler and indeed more classical ideas related to Fermat's Last Theorem. As a regrettable consequence, things like algebraic topology, elliptic curves, modular functions and so on have to be omitted. As compensation, the student or keen amateur will gain accessible insight from this section; he will also appreciate the shortcomings of these classical approaches and be motivated to prepare himself for more advanced perspectives. Our aim is to determine what can be said about the solutions to an + bn = cn for positive integers a; b; c. -
Spring 2014 Fine Letters
Spring 2014 Issue 3 Department of Mathematics Department of Mathematics Princeton University Fine Hall, Washington Rd. Princeton, NJ 08544 Department Chair’s letter The department is continuing its period of Assistant to the Chair and to the Depart- transition and renewal. Although long- ment Manager, and Will Crow as Faculty The Wolf time faculty members John Conway and Assistant. The uniform opinion of the Ed Nelson became emeriti last July, we faculty and staff is that we made great Prize for look forward to many years of Ed being choices. Peter amongst us and for John continuing to hold Among major faculty honors Alice Chang Sarnak court in his “office” in the nook across from became a member of the Academia Sinica, Professor Peter Sarnak will be awarded this the common room. We are extremely Elliott Lieb became a Foreign Member of year’s Wolf Prize in Mathematics. delighted that Fernando Coda Marques and the Royal Society, John Mather won the The prize is awarded annually by the Wolf Assaf Naor (last Fall’s Minerva Lecturer) Brouwer Prize, Sophie Morel won the in- Foundation in the fields of agriculture, will be joining us as full professors in augural AWM-Microsoft Research prize in chemistry, mathematics, medicine, physics, Alumni , faculty, students, friends, connect with us, write to us at September. Algebra and Number Theory, Peter Sarnak and the arts. The award will be presented Our finishing graduate students did very won the Wolf Prize, and Yasha Sinai the by Israeli President Shimon Peres on June [email protected] well on the job market with four win- Abel Prize. -
Fermat's Last Theorem and Andrew Wiles
Fermat's last theorem and Andrew Wiles © 1997−2009, Millennium Mathematics Project, University of Cambridge. Permission is granted to print and copy this page on paper for non−commercial use. For other uses, including electronic redistribution, please contact us. June 2008 Features Fermat's last theorem and Andrew Wiles by Neil Pieprzak This article is the winner of the schools category of the Plus new writers award 2008. Students were asked to write about the life and work of a mathematician of their choice. "But the best problem I ever found, I found in my local public library." Andrew Wiles. Image © C. J. Mozzochi, Princeton N.J. There is a problem that not even the collective mathematical genius of almost 400 years could solve. When the ten−year−old Andrew Wiles read about it in his local Cambridge library, he dreamt of solving the problem that had haunted so many great mathematicians. Little did he or the rest of the world know that he would succeed... Fermat's last theorem and Andrew Wiles 1 Fermat's last theorem and Andrew Wiles "Here was a problem, that I, a ten−year−old, could understand and I knew from that moment that I would never let it go. I had to solve it." Pierre de Fermat The story of the problem that would seal Wiles' place in history begins in 1637 when Pierre de Fermat made a deceptively simple conjecture. He stated that if is any whole number greater than 2, then there are no three whole numbers , and other than zero that satisfy the equation (Note that if , then whole number solutions do exist, for example , and .) Fermat claimed to have proved this statement but that the "margin [was] too narrow to contain" it. -
The Materiality & Ontology of Digital Subjectivity
THE MATERIALITY & ONTOLOGY OF DIGITAL SUBJECTIVITY: GRIGORI “GRISHA” PERELMAN AS A CASE STUDY IN DIGITAL SUBJECTIVITY A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada Copyright Gary Larsen 2015 Theory, Culture, and Politics M.A. Graduate Program September 2015 Abstract THE MATERIALITY & ONTOLOGY OF DIGITAL SUBJECTIVITY: GRIGORI “GRISHA” PERELMAN AS A CASE STUDY IN DIGITAL SUBJECTIVITY Gary Larsen New conditions of materiality are emerging from fundamental changes in our ontological order. Digital subjectivity represents an emergent mode of subjectivity that is the effect of a more profound ontological drift that has taken place, and this bears significant repercussions for the practice and understanding of the political. This thesis pivots around mathematician Grigori ‘Grisha’ Perelman, most famous for his refusal to accept numerous prestigious prizes resulting from his proof of the Poincaré conjecture. The thesis shows the Perelman affair to be a fascinating instance of the rise of digital subjectivity as it strives to actualize a new hegemonic order. By tracing first the production of aesthetic works that represent Grigori Perelman in legacy media, the thesis demonstrates that there is a cultural imperative to represent Perelman as an abject figure. Additionally, his peculiar abjection is seen to arise from a challenge to the order of materiality defended by those with a vested interest in maintaining the stability of a hegemony identified with the normative regulatory power of the heteronormative matrix sustaining social relations in late capitalism. -
Fundamental Theorems in Mathematics
SOME FUNDAMENTAL THEOREMS IN MATHEMATICS OLIVER KNILL Abstract. An expository hitchhikers guide to some theorems in mathematics. Criteria for the current list of 243 theorems are whether the result can be formulated elegantly, whether it is beautiful or useful and whether it could serve as a guide [6] without leading to panic. The order is not a ranking but ordered along a time-line when things were writ- ten down. Since [556] stated “a mathematical theorem only becomes beautiful if presented as a crown jewel within a context" we try sometimes to give some context. Of course, any such list of theorems is a matter of personal preferences, taste and limitations. The num- ber of theorems is arbitrary, the initial obvious goal was 42 but that number got eventually surpassed as it is hard to stop, once started. As a compensation, there are 42 “tweetable" theorems with included proofs. More comments on the choice of the theorems is included in an epilogue. For literature on general mathematics, see [193, 189, 29, 235, 254, 619, 412, 138], for history [217, 625, 376, 73, 46, 208, 379, 365, 690, 113, 618, 79, 259, 341], for popular, beautiful or elegant things [12, 529, 201, 182, 17, 672, 673, 44, 204, 190, 245, 446, 616, 303, 201, 2, 127, 146, 128, 502, 261, 172]. For comprehensive overviews in large parts of math- ematics, [74, 165, 166, 51, 593] or predictions on developments [47]. For reflections about mathematics in general [145, 455, 45, 306, 439, 99, 561]. Encyclopedic source examples are [188, 705, 670, 102, 192, 152, 221, 191, 111, 635]. -
Alexander Grothendieck Heng Li
Alexander Grothendieck Heng Li Alexander Grothendieck's life Alexander Grothendieck was a German born French mathematician. Grothendieck was born on March 28, 1928 in Berlin. His parents were Johanna Grothendieck and Alexander Schapiro. When he was five years old, Hitler became the Chancellor of the German Reich, and called to boycott all Jewish businesses, and ordered civil servants who were not of the Aryan race to retire. Grothendieck's father was a Russian Jew and at that time, he used the name Tanaroff to hide his Jewish Identity. Even with a Russian name it is still too dangerous for Jewish people to stay in Berlin. In May 1933, his father, Alexander Schapiro, left to Paris because the rise of Nazism. In December of the same year, his mother left Grothendieck with a foster family Heydorns in Hamburg, and joined Schapiro in Paris. While Alexander Grothendieck was with his foster family, Grothendieck's parents went to Spain and partici- pated in the Spanish Civil War. After the Spanish Civil War, Johanna(Hanka) Grothendieck and Alexander Schapiro returned to France. In Hamburg, Alexander Grothendieck attended to elementary schools and stud- ied at the Gymnasium (a secondary school). The Heydorns family are a part of the resistance against Hitler; they consider that it was too dangerous for young Grothendieck to stay in Germany, so in 1939 the Heydorns sent him to France to join his parents. However, because of the outbreak of World War II all German in France were required by law to be sent to special internment camps. Grothendieck and his parents were arrested and sent to the camp, but fortunately young Alexander Grothendieck was allowed to continue his education at a village school that was a few miles away from the camp.