Benedict Gross
Encyclopedia
Benedict Hyman Gross is an American mathematician, the George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University
and former Dean of Harvard College.
In 1971 he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University. He then received an M.Sc. from Oxford University in 1974 before returning to Harvard and completing his Ph.D. in 1978, under John Tate
.
He is known for his work in number theory
, particularly the Gross–Zagier theorem on L-function
s of elliptic curve
s, which was work with Don Zagier
. He, Zagier, and Dorian M. Goldfeld
won the Cole Prize
of the American Mathematical Society
in 1987 for this work.
After holding faculty positions at Princeton University
and Brown University
, Gross became a tenured professor at Harvard in 1985 and has remained there ever since, as Dean of Harvard College from 2003 to 2007. He was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1992 and as a member of the National Academy of Sciences
in 2004.
One of his Ph.D. students is Noam Elkies
.
Benedict Gross was the mathematical consultant for the 1980 film It's My Turn
containing the famous scene in which Jill Clayburgh
impeccably proves the snake lemma
.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and former Dean of Harvard College.
In 1971 he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University. He then received an M.Sc. from Oxford University in 1974 before returning to Harvard and completing his Ph.D. in 1978, under John Tate
John Tate
John Torrence Tate Jr. is an American mathematician, distinguished for many fundamental contributions in algebraic number theory, arithmetic geometry and related areas in algebraic geometry.-Biography:...
.
He is known for his work in number theory
Number theory
Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well...
, particularly the Gross–Zagier theorem on L-function
L-function
The theory of L-functions has become a very substantial, and still largely conjectural, part of contemporary analytic number theory. In it, broad generalisations of the Riemann zeta function and the L-series for a Dirichlet character are constructed, and their general properties, in most cases...
s of elliptic curve
Elliptic curve
In mathematics, an elliptic curve is a smooth, projective algebraic curve of genus one, on which there is a specified point O. An elliptic curve is in fact an abelian variety — that is, it has a multiplication defined algebraically with respect to which it is a group — and O serves as the identity...
s, which was work with Don Zagier
Don Zagier
Don Bernard Zagier is an American mathematician whose main area of work is number theory. He is currently one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn, Germany, and a professor at the Collège de France in Paris, France.He was born in Heidelberg, Germany...
. He, Zagier, and Dorian M. Goldfeld
Dorian M. Goldfeld
Dorian Morris Goldfeld is an American mathematician.He received his B.S. degree in 1967 from Columbia University. His doctoral dissertation entitled "Some Methods of Averaging in the Analytical Theory of Numbers" was completed under the supervision of Patrick X. Gallagher in 1969, also at Columbia...
won the Cole Prize
Cole Prize
The Frank Nelson Cole Prize, or Cole Prize for short, is one of two prizes awarded to mathematicians by the American Mathematical Society, one for an outstanding contribution to algebra, and the other for an outstanding contribution to number theory. The prize is named after Frank Nelson Cole, who...
of the American Mathematical Society
American Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
in 1987 for this work.
After holding faculty positions at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Gross became a tenured professor at Harvard in 1985 and has remained there ever since, as Dean of Harvard College from 2003 to 2007. He was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1992 and as a member of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 2004.
One of his Ph.D. students is Noam Elkies
Noam Elkies
Noam David Elkies is an American mathematician and chess master.At age 14, Elkies received a gold medal with a perfect score at the International Mathematical Olympiad, the youngest ever to do so...
.
Benedict Gross was the mathematical consultant for the 1980 film It's My Turn
It's My Turn (film)
It's My Turn is a 1980 romantic comedy-drama film starring Jill Clayburgh, Michael Douglas, and Charles Grodin.The film was directed by Claudia Weill and written by Eleanor Bergstein...
containing the famous scene in which Jill Clayburgh
Jill Clayburgh
Jill Clayburgh was an American actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles in An Unmarried Woman and Starting Over.-Personal life:...
impeccably proves the snake lemma
Snake lemma
The snake lemma is a tool used in mathematics, particularly homological algebra, to construct long exact sequences. The snake lemma is valid in every abelian category and is a crucial tool in homological algebra and its applications, for instance in algebraic topology...
.