Elon Lages Lima
Encyclopedia
Elon Lages Lima is a Brazil
ian mathematician
specializing in topology
. Lima is professor emeritus at Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada of which he was the director during three separate periods. Currently he is the Chief Scientific Researcher of that institution. Lima has been twice recipient of the Jabuti Prize
from the Câmara Brasileira do Livro for his books, and of the Anísio Teixeira Prize from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
. Lima graduated with a bachelor's degree
in Mathematics
from the Universidade do Brasil (today UFRJ) in 1953. He obtained his Doctorate
in 1958 from the University of Chicago
. He is a former Guggenheim Fellow, and holds memberships in the Academia Brasileira de Ciências (Brazilian Academy of Sciences) and the TWAS, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World. He is a professor Honoris Causa of the Universidade Federal do Ceará
. -- He was a member of the Upper Board of FAPERJ from 1987 to 1991. He was also a member of the National Board of Education.
He has written twenty five books in Mathematics
, six of which were intended for secondary school
teachers. Between 1990 and 1995, he coordinated the IMPA-VITAE project, which held skills improvement courses for mathematics professors in eleven cities from eight states throughout Brazil.
He received the grã-cruz ("Great Cross") of the Ordem Nacional do Mérito Científico ("National Order of Scientific Merit") of Brazil.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian mathematician
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....
specializing in topology
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
. Lima is professor emeritus at Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada of which he was the director during three separate periods. Currently he is the Chief Scientific Researcher of that institution. Lima has been twice recipient of the Jabuti Prize
Prêmio Jabuti
The Prêmio Jabuti is the most important and well-known literary award in Brazil. It was created in 1958 by Edgard Cavalheiro....
from the Câmara Brasileira do Livro for his books, and of the Anísio Teixeira Prize from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Biography
He began his career as a high school teacher in Fortaleza, CearáCeará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
. Lima graduated with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the Universidade do Brasil (today UFRJ) in 1953. He obtained his Doctorate
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1958 from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He is a former Guggenheim Fellow, and holds memberships in the Academia Brasileira de Ciências (Brazilian Academy of Sciences) and the TWAS, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World. He is a professor Honoris Causa of the Universidade Federal do Ceará
Universidade Federal do Ceará
Federal University of Ceará is a federal university with campuses in the cities of Fortaleza, Sobral and Barbalha, in the state of Ceará, Brazil...
. -- He was a member of the Upper Board of FAPERJ from 1987 to 1991. He was also a member of the National Board of Education.
He has written twenty five books in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, six of which were intended for secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
teachers. Between 1990 and 1995, he coordinated the IMPA-VITAE project, which held skills improvement courses for mathematics professors in eleven cities from eight states throughout Brazil.
He received the grã-cruz ("Great Cross") of the Ordem Nacional do Mérito Científico ("National Order of Scientific Merit") of Brazil.