Person: Ribenboim, Paulo
Paulo Ribenboim is a Brazilian mathematician who works in number theory.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- In 1946 Ribenboim entered the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Brazil.
- Ribenboim was awarded his Bachelor's degree in 1948 then, following this, he spent a semester as a teaching assistant in the Saint Ignatius Faculty of Engineering which became part of the new Pontificia Universidade Católica in Rio de Janeiro, which is now named the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
- In 1950 Ribenboim was awarded a scholarship to study in Nancy, France, with Dieudonné.
- This was an exciting time for Ribenboim for as well as working with Dieudonné he met Laurent Schwartz and Grothendieck while studying in Nancy.
- Ribenboim submitted his second research paper Modules sur un anneau de Dedekind Ⓣ(Modules over a Dedekind ring) to Summa Brasil.
- Ribenboim's big research breakthrough came when he found a counterexample to a conjecture of Krull.
- After this Ribenboim began to publish rapidly.
- After three years in Germany, Ribenboim returned to Brazil in August 1956 where he was appointed to the new Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics in Rio de Janeiro.
- This was awarded by the University of São Paulo in August 1957.
- Ribenboim has published a remarkable collection of research papers, monographs, graduate and undergraduate texts, and popular widely accessible mathematics books.
- In 1965 Ribenboim published his book Théorie des valuations Ⓣ(Theory of valuations) consisting of lectures he gave in 1964 at the Séminaire de Mathétiques Supérieurs in Montréal.
- In 1966 Ribenboim spent two months at Harvard working with Zariski.
- Ribenboim points out in the Preface that he considers preparation of exercises as well as expansion of material to be roles of a competent instructor.
- Many people will think of Ribenboim as a writer of superb number theory books.
- A reviewer's comment "This book is well written with much wit" certainly applies to this book, but could equally apply to all of Ribenboim's books.
- In addition to writing many books, Ribenboim has edited a number of 'Collected Works' of his fellow mathematicians.
- Ribenboim has received a wide range of honours for his outstanding contributions to research and for the outstanding books he has written.
- Let us end by quoting from two reviews of My numbers, my friends , a book which both in title and content say much about Ribenboim's mathematical loves.
- And this book more than rewarded my anticipation! Ribenboim is now retired, and treats us to a delightful survey of a few of his favourite numbers ...
- Its coverage is vast: although much of the material in the lectures can be found in number theory textbooks, Ribenboim has integrated and consolidated so much related material from the literature that each lecture sparkles from its new treatment.
Born 13 March 1928, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Origin Brazil
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
- Github:
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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
