Charles W. Curtis
Encyclopedia
Charles W. Curtis is a mathematician
and historian of mathematics
, known for his work in finite group
theory and representation theory
. He is a retired professor of mathematics at the University of Oregon
.
operation on the characters
of a reductive group
over a finite field
. His book with Irving Reiner
, , was the standard text on representation theory for many years.
in 1948, and his Ph.D. from Yale University
in 1951, under the supervision of Nathan Jacobson
. He taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1954 to 1963. Subsequently, he moved to the University of Oregon
, where he is an emeritus professor.
While at Yale, on June 17, 1950 in Cheshire, Connecticut
, Curtis married his wife Elizabeth, a kindergarten
teacher and childcare provider. At the time of their 50th anniversary in 2000, they had three grandchildren.
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and historian of mathematics
History of mathematics
The area of study known as the history of mathematics is primarily an investigation into the origin of discoveries in mathematics and, to a lesser extent, an investigation into the mathematical methods and notation of the past....
, known for his work in finite group
Finite group
In mathematics and abstract algebra, a finite group is a group whose underlying set G has finitely many elements. During the twentieth century, mathematicians investigated certain aspects of the theory of finite groups in great depth, especially the local theory of finite groups, and the theory of...
theory and representation theory
Representation theory
Representation theory is a branch of mathematics that studies abstract algebraic structures by representing their elements as linear transformations of vector spaces, and studiesmodules over these abstract algebraic structures...
. He is a retired professor of mathematics at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
Research
Curtis introduced Curtis duality, a dualityDuality (mathematics)
In mathematics, a duality, generally speaking, translates concepts, theorems or mathematical structures into other concepts, theorems or structures, in a one-to-one fashion, often by means of an involution operation: if the dual of A is B, then the dual of B is A. As involutions sometimes have...
operation on the characters
Character (mathematics)
In mathematics, a character is a special kind of function from a group to a field . There are at least two distinct, but overlapping meanings...
of a reductive group
Reductive group
In mathematics, a reductive group is an algebraic group G over an algebraically closed field such that the unipotent radical of G is trivial . Any semisimple algebraic group is reductive, as is any algebraic torus and any general linear group...
over a finite field
Finite field
In abstract algebra, a finite field or Galois field is a field that contains a finite number of elements. Finite fields are important in number theory, algebraic geometry, Galois theory, cryptography, and coding theory...
. His book with Irving Reiner
Irving Reiner
Irving Reiner was a mathematician at the University of Illinois who worked on representation theory. He solved the problem of finding which abelian groups have a finite number of indecomposable modules. His book with Charles W. Curtis, , was for many years the standard text on representation...
, , was the standard text on representation theory for many years.
Biography
Curtis received a bachelor's degree from Bowdoin CollegeBowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in 1948, and his Ph.D. from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1951, under the supervision of Nathan Jacobson
Nathan Jacobson
Nathan Jacobson was an American mathematician....
. He taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1954 to 1963. Subsequently, he moved to the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he is an emeritus professor.
While at Yale, on June 17, 1950 in Cheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
, Curtis married his wife Elizabeth, a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
teacher and childcare provider. At the time of their 50th anniversary in 2000, they had three grandchildren.
External links
- Pictures of C. W. Curtis from Oberwolfach