"A Jew and an Irishman went to Heaven": My Friendship with Paul Sally

Phil Kutzko

16-Oct-2020, 18:30-19:00 (3 years ago)

Abstract: I have had the honor on several occasions to speak or write about my relationship with Paul J. Sally, Jr. – one of the finest human beings I have known in my 73 years on this earth. I, and others, have detailed Paul's mathematical prowess, his remarkable commitment to social justice and his keen and subtle sense of humor. Today, with so many young folks in the audience, I would like to provide a context for our relationship as well as for the professional lives that we led: that not too many years before we entered the world of mathematics, it was a profession that would not have been particularly happy to see the likes of either of us. Paul and I discussed this throughout our time together and I learned a great deal from him about the similarities, and the differences, of the way in which each of us experienced this context. I will share what I learned from him and how his perceptions, as well as his work in social justice, shaped my own activities in this area. And I hope, in closing, to discuss some policy implications for our profession.

number theoryrepresentation theory

Audience: researchers in the discipline


The 2020 Paul J. Sally, Jr. Midwest Representation Theory Conference

Series comments: The 44th Midwest Representation Theory Conference will address recent progress in the theory of representations for groups over non-archimedean local fields, and connections of this theory to other areas within mathematics, notably number theory and geometry.

In order to receive information on how to participate (to be sent out closer to the conference), please register by October 14 here: forms.gle/zFAnQBnuPGRnKzMr7

Organizers: Stephen DeBacker, Jessica Fintzen*, Muthu Krishnamurthy, Loren Spice
*contact for this listing

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