Budapest: The Golden Years
Moderator
Paul D. Humke, professor of mathematics at St. Olaf College and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Mathematics at Washington and Lee University, is also editor-in-chief of Real Analysis Exchange and long-time North American director of the Budapest Semester in Mathematics program. Dr. Humke’s primary interests are real analysis and one-dimensional dynamical systems and he has published numerous articles on those areas and others. He has been both Fulbright scholar and National Research Council Research Scientist to Hungary. Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Historians
István Deák is the Seth Low Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University. He specializes in central and east central European history. He is the author of numerous publications and is currently working on a book entitled Collaboration, Resistance, and Retribution in Europe During and After World War II. Deák immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1956. Ph.D. Columbia University.
Tibor Frank is director of the School of English and American Studies at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, where he is also a professor of history. His paper, The Social Construction of Hungarian Genius 1867–1930, is the starting point for the October 5 panel discussion. His research focuses on transatlantic relations and includes international migrations and perceptions and diplomatic and cultural connections. Dr. Frank is a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award and serves as corresponding fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is author of many publications including, most recently, 1930-nendai Hungary-no Seihou-Gensou [The Mirage of the West in the Hungary of the 1930s (in Japanese)]. Ph.D. Eötvös Loránd University.
Panelists
Ronald L. Graham is the Irwin and Joan Jacobs Professor of Computer and Information Science in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California, San Diego, and the chief scientist of the California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology. His mathematical interests include combinatorics, number theory, graph theory, geometry, and algorithms. Dr. Graham currently serves as treasurer of the National Academy of Sciences and has been president of the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and the International Jugglers Association. His awards include the Leroy Steele Award for Lifetime Achievement. Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley.
Peter D. Lax is professor emeritus at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University. His areas of interest include differential equations, fluid dynamics, shock waves, numerical methods, and completely integrable systems. Prior to joining the faculty of NYU in 1951, he was a member of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory where he worked on the Manhattan Project. His awards include the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize, and the Abel Prize. Born in Hungary, Dr. Lax immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1941. Ph.D. New York University.
Laszlo Lovász is director of the Institute of Mathematics at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. His field of research is discrete mathematics, in particular its applications to the theory of algorithms and the theory of computing, and its interactions with classical mathematics. He is president of the International Mathematical Union and a member of several academies, including the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His awards include the Wolf Prize. Ph.D. Eötvös Loránd University.
Vera T. Sós is a professor at the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Sós’s areas of interest include combinatorics and number theory. She is a member of the Hungary Academy of Sciences. Ph.D. Eötvös Loránd University.
Marina von Neumann Whitman is professor of business administration and public policy at the University of Michigan. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Whitman, who is also the daughter of John von Neumann, was an officer of the General Motors Corporation. She is the author of several books and monographs including New World, New Rules: The Changing Role of the American Corporation and American Capitalism and Global Convergence, as well as many articles. She currently serves on the boards of the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Institute for International Economics, and the Institute for Advanced Study. Ph.D. Columbia University.
Attendees
George Berzsenyi was head of the Department of Mathematics at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology before retiring as professor emeritus. In addition to problem posing, problem solving, and the organization of mathematics programs for talented high school students, his areas of interest include combinatorics, elementary number theory, and discrete complex analysis. His focus during his years in academia was to transplant to the U.S. the programs and methods that propelled Hungary to the forefront of mathematics. He served on various problems committees, including United States of America Mathematical Olympiad, American Invitational Mathematics Examination, and American High School Mathematics Examination; initiated programs such as the United States of America Mathematical Talent Search; and authored numerous articles. His awards include the Erdős Prize of the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions. Dr. Berzsenyi immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1957. Ph.D. Texas Christian University.
Momar Dieng is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona. His mathematical interests include integrable systems theory, nonlinear partial differential equations, random matrix theory, and their interrelationship. Originally from Senegal, Professor Dieng maintains a deep interest in the support of talented students on the African continent.
Elizsabeth Iler is an educator whose forty-year career has focused on working with gifted minority students in public high schools. She developed the Gateway Institute for Pre-College Education with Morton Slater, a biostatistician. The Gateway programs and schools serve over 3,000 students in twelve high schools (www.gateway.cuny.edu). Iler has traveled extensively in India and has worked with educators from Africa and India on a number of projects.
Dezso Miklos is deputy director of the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and professor and Budapest director of the Budapest Semester in Mathematics program. His areas of interest are combinatorics (extremal problems for finite sets) and its application in cryprography and bioinformatics. Dr. Miklos is editor-in-chief of the book series Bolyai Society Mathematical Studies. He is also on the board of the Bolyai Society. Ph.D. Ohio State University.
Monica Mitchell is an associate with the Quality Education for Minorities Network. As a mathematics educator, Dr. Mitchell specializes in large-scale systemic reform, professional development, teacher leadership, and curriculum implementation, particularly in high-poverty, urban communities. She is responsible for mathematics education initiatives at the QEM Network, a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Her current interests focus on teacher use of standards-based instructional materials; identification and development of students gifted in mathematics from underrepresented communities; and international collaborations in mathematics education research. Ed.D. Columbia University.
Janos Pataki is a teacher in the Department of Mathematics at Fazekas Mihaly High School in Budapest. A long-time teacher of mathematics, Pataki has been involved in math education on various levels including developing student talent, translating mathematics from English to Hungarian and vice versa, writing numerous articles, and producing radio segments on the history of Hungarian mathematics. Pataki has been a member of various math competition committees and has led the Hungarian International Mathematical Olympiad team. In addition, he is a cofounder of the ongoing annual binational mathematical competition between Israel and Hungary.
Jozsef Pelikan is a professor in the Department of Algebra and Number Theory at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. His research interests are algebra, number theory, and combinatorics with emphasis on finite groups and symmetrical combinatorial structures. Active in national and international mathematics competitions, Dr. Pelikan is on the committee of the Kurschak competition and chairman of the advisory board of the International Mathematical Olympiad. He also serves as the leader of the Hungarian International Mathematical Olympiad team. Ph.D. Eötvös Loránd University.
Bruce M. Robinson is Head of School at the British School of Boston. An educator with over thirty-three years of experience, Dr. Robinson’s career has centered on maximizing learning outcomes for students. He has led schools in Australia and India and worked as an educational consultant there and in the United States and Vietnam completing projects on educational leadership and quality management of schools. His interests include professional development, performance appraisal, students with special needs, and the provision of programs for gifted and talented students. Ph.D. University of Nebraska.
Joel H. Spencer is a professor of mathematics and computer science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University. He works in discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science using probabilistic methods as developed by his mentor Paul Erdős. Among his numerous publications are The Probabilistic Method and Ramsey Theory. He has served on the executive committee of the American Mathematical Society and as chair of the Mathematics Department of NYU. Ph.D. Harvard University.
Theresa M. H. Wise is senior vice president, chief information officer of Northwest Airlines, Inc. Dr. Wise leads all technology development and IT operations (including operations research and industrial engineering) for the airline. She began her work with NWA in 1990, building a mathematical model to optimize crew schedules and has since held a variety of positions in flight operations, operations research, industrial engineering, and IT/applications development. Dr. Wise has participated in the Budapest Semester in Mathematics. Ph.D. Cornell University.