Harold Edwards (mathematician)

Harold Mortimer Edwards, Jr. (August 6, 1936 – November 10, 2020) was an American mathematician working in number theory, algebra, and the history and philosophy of mathematics.

Harold Mortimer Edwards, Jr.
Born(1936-08-06)August 6, 1936
DiedNovember 11, 2020(2020-11-11) (aged 84)[2]
Alma materHarvard University
Spouse(s)Betty Rollin, journalist and author
AwardsLeroy P. Steele Prize
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics
InstitutionsNew York University
Doctoral advisorRaoul Bott

He was one of the co-founding editors, with Bruce Chandler, of The Mathematical Intelligencer.[1] He is the author of expository books on the Riemann zeta function, on Galois theory, and on Fermat's Last Theorem. He wrote a book on Leopold Kronecker's work on divisor theory providing a systematic exposition of that work—a task that Kronecker never completed. He wrote textbooks on linear algebra, calculus, and number theory. He also wrote a book of essays on constructive mathematics.

Edwards graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1956, received a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1957, and a Ph.D from Harvard University in 1961, under the supervision of Raoul Bott.[3] He taught at Harvard and Columbia University; he joined the faculty at New York University in 1966, and was an emeritus professor starting in 2002.[1]

In 1980, Edwards won the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition of the American Mathematical Society, for his books on the Riemann zeta function and Fermat's Last Theorem.[4] For his contribution in the field of the history of mathematics he was awarded the Albert Leon Whiteman Memorial Prize by the AMS in 2005.[5] In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.[6]

Edwards was married to Betty Rollin, a former NBC News correspondent, author, and breast cancer survivor.[7] Edwards died on November 10, 2020, of colon cancer.[2]

Books

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Curriculum vitae from Edwards' web site at NYU, retrieved 2010-01-30.
  2. ^ a b "HAROLD EDWARDS Obituary (2020)". The New York Times / www.legacy.com. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  3. ^ Harold Mortimer Edwards, Jr. at the Mathematics Genealogy Project.
  4. ^ Leroy P. Steel Prizes, American Mathematical Society, retrieved 2010-01-31.
  5. ^ a b "2005 Whiteman Prize" (PDF), Notices of the AMS, 52 (4), April 2005.
  6. ^ List of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society, retrieved 2012-12-02.
  7. ^ Klemesrud, Judy (September 9, 1985), "Daughter's Story: Aiding Mother's Suicide", New York Times.
  8. ^ American Mathematical Society, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8218-4439-7.
  9. ^ a b Review by Samuel S. Wagstaff, Jr. (2009), Mathematical Reviews, MR2392541.
  10. ^ a b Review by Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo, Mathematical Association of America, April 26, 2008.
  11. ^ Springer-Verlag, 2005, ISBN 0-387-21978-1.
  12. ^ Schulman, Bonnie (February 22, 2005), "Essays in Constructive Mathematics by Harold M. Edwards", Read This! The MAA Online book review column, Mathematical Association of America.
  13. ^ Review by Edward J. Barbeau (2005), Mathematical Reviews, MR2104015.
  14. ^ Review by S. C. Coutinho (2010), SIGACT News 41 (2): 33–36, doi:10.1145/1814370.1814372.
  15. ^ Edwards, Harold M. (2022). Essays in Constructive Mathematics. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-98558-5. ISBN 978-3-030-98557-8.
  16. ^ Rollin, Betty (2022-11-27). "Opinion | How to Talk to a Widow". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  17. ^ Birkhäuser, 1990, ISBN 0-8176-3448-7.
  18. ^ Review by D. Ştefănescu (1993), Mathematical Reviews, MR1200892.
  19. ^ Graduate Texts in Mathematics 101, Springer-Verlag, 1984, ISBN 0-387-90980-X.
  20. ^ Review by B. Heinrich Matzat (1987), Mathematical Reviews, MR0743418.
  21. ^ Review by Peter M. Neumann (1987), American Mathematical Monthly 93: 407–411.
  22. ^ The Lester R. Ford Award, MAA, retrieved 2010-02-01.
  23. ^ Graduate Texts in Mathematics 50, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1977, ISBN 0-387-90230-9. Reprinted with corrections, 1996, ISBN 978-0-387-95002-0, MR1416327. Russian translation by V. L. Kalinin and A. I. Skopin. Mir, Moscow, 1980, MR0616636.
  24. ^ Review by Charles J. Parry (1981), Bulletin of the AMS 4 (2): 218–222.
  25. ^ Review by William C. Waterhouse (1983), Mathematical Reviews, MR0616635.
  26. ^ Pure and Applied Mathematics 58, Academic Press, 1974. Republished by Dover Publications, 2001, ISBN 978-0-486-41740-0.
  27. ^ Review by Harvey Cohn (1975), SIAM Review 17 (4): 697–699, doi:10.1137/1017086.
  28. ^ Review by Robert Spira (1976), Historia Mathematica 3 (4): 489–490, doi:10.1016/0315-0860(76)90087-2.
  29. ^ Review by Bruce C. Berndt, Mathematical Reviews, MR0466039.
  30. ^ Houghton–Mifflin, 1969. Reprinted with corrections by Krieger Publishing, 1980. Republished again by Birkhäuser, 1993, ISBN 0-8176-3707-9.
  31. ^ Review by Nick Lord (1996), The Mathematical Gazette 80 (489): 629–630, doi:10.2307/3618555.
  32. ^ Review by R. S. Booth (1982), Mathematical Reviews, MR0587115.
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