Person: Nirenberg, Louis
Louis Nirenberg was a Canadian mathematician whohas made important contributions to linear and nonlinear partial differential equations and their application to complex analysis and geometry.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Louis went to a Hebrew school but he did not want to learn Hebrew.
- Louis attended Baron Byng High School in Montreal where he had excellent teachers.
- After he graduated Nirenberg thought that he would carry on to graduate studies in theoretical physics.
- The advice came back that Nirenberg should first do a Master's Degree in mathematics at New York University, and then go on to study physics.
- Nirenberg went for an interview with Courant and Friedrichs in New York and they offered him an assistantship.
- After the award of a Master's Degree by New York University in 1947, Nirenberg remained there working for his doctorate.
- After completing his doctorate in 1949, Nirenberg was appointed as a Research Assistant at New York University, becoming one of the early members of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Mechanics (it was renamed the Courant Institute in 1964).
- A minor such gem is the useful set of Garliardo-Nirenberg inequalities.
- Nirenberg has been the centre of many major developments.
- Inequalities, mentioned near the beginning of this quote, have a special part in Nirenberg's life.
- The many publications by Nirenberg (MathSciNet lists 185) include only one book.
- We should note Nirenberg's special love of nonlinear problems and give two quotes from him on this topic.
- Nirenberg has been awarded many prizes and given many honours in a distinguished career.
- Nirenberg has served the American Mathematical Society in several roles.
- The Crafoord Prize was awarded to Nirenberg at a ceremony at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday, 29 September 1982.
- Nirenberg has treated a great number of problems of this nature.
- Nirenberg's work ranges over a variety of problems and has been of basic importance for the development of the field.
- Caffarelli mentions Nirenberg's areas of interest in partial differential equations: Regularity and solvability of elliptic equations of order 2n; the Minkowski problem and fully nonlinear equations; the theory of higher regularity for free boundary problems; and symmetry properties of solutions to invariant equations.
- Joseph Kohn describes Nirenberg's contributions to complex analysis.
- Nirenberg's career has been an inspiration; his numerous students, collaborators, and colleagues have learned a great deal from him.
- Aside from mathematics, Nirenberg has taught all of us the enjoyment of travel, movies, and gastronomy.
- An appreciation of Nirenberg also must include his ever-present sense of humour.
- Nirenberg has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Accademia dei Lincei, the French Académie des Sciences, the Accademia Mediterranea della Scienze, the Istituto Lombardo, the Accademia Scienze e Lettere, and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
- Finally we mention that a conference dedicated to Louis Nirenberg was held in Trento, Italy in September 1990 to mark his 65th birthday.
- A conference was held in Venice in June 1996 and another was held in Florence in July 1996, both to honour Nirenberg's 70th birthday.
- A conference was held in Hsinchu in September 2000 to honour Nirenberg's 75th birthday, and another conference was held at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo in June 2006 in honour of Nirenberg's 80th birthday.
Born 28 February 1925, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Died 26 January 2020, Manhattan, New York, USA.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Prize Abel, Origin Canada
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
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- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
