Comments on: Raoul Bott, 1923-2005 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:57:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Jim Bryan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8925 Jim Bryan Wed, 04 Jan 2006 22:48:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8925 Bott was a magnificent mathematician with incredible charisma. I remember that he would light up a room like a movie star whenever he entered. People would hang on his every word in the Harvard common room, and they would seldom be dissappointed. He had this big, hearty laugh, and he was quick to reward a clever remark from a student with a pat on the back and a "very good, young man, very good!" I too remember Bott's 8:30am class that Sean and Ted attended. It was this wonderful tour of geometry and topology which never proceeded with the topics of a standard course, yet always managed to convey the important essence of the subject. It was almost too dazzling -- it left one with the impression that discovering beautiful mathematics was a easy as an afternoon stroll in the park. For Bott always made each successive step in some mathematical development seem like the only reasonable and natural thing to do. I would leave his class feeling like if I just followed my nose and did what seemed the most natural, I would easily discover fantastic new theorems. Of course, for most of us, creating new mathematics turned out to be considerably harder than Bott had made it appear... I will truly miss Raoul Bott. His deep thinking and gentle soul personified what it means to be a great mathemtician. Bott was a magnificent mathematician with incredible charisma. I remember that he would light up a room like a movie star whenever he entered. People would hang on his every word in the Harvard common room, and they would seldom be dissappointed. He had this big, hearty laugh, and he was quick to reward a clever remark from a student with a pat on the back and a “very good, young man, very good!”

I too remember Bott’s 8:30am class that Sean and Ted attended. It was this wonderful tour of geometry and topology which never proceeded with the topics of a standard course, yet always managed to convey the important essence of the subject. It was almost too dazzling — it left one with the impression that discovering beautiful mathematics was a easy as an afternoon stroll in the park. For Bott always made each successive step in some mathematical development seem like the only reasonable and natural thing to do. I would leave his class feeling like if I just followed my nose and did what seemed the most natural, I would easily discover fantastic new theorems. Of course, for most of us, creating new mathematics turned out to be considerably harder than Bott had made it appear…

I will truly miss Raoul Bott. His deep thinking and gentle soul personified what it means to be a great mathemtician.

]]> By: A. Zee http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8921 A. Zee Wed, 28 Dec 2005 01:43:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8921 I can hardly believe it: I was just recently joking around with Raoul when he was here in Santa Barbara, as Marty Einhorn mentioned. I got to know Bott during the 1998 Les Houches meeting (a very nice meeting by the way, see the book Quantum Field Theory: Perspective and Prospective.) I was his downstairs neighbor and every evening he would invite me up to his place for a drink (this is consistent with Sean's and David's stories) while we looked at the Alps. Naturally, I was reminded of the opening sentence of my quantum field theory textbook talking about the ephemeral nature of life. I wanted to also mention the Chinese proverb about life being a passing illusion but with the joking tone of the book I was already testing the limit of Princeton University Press. So anyway, you guys in theoretical physics, remember this proverb when you fight over credits and references. Regarding Shawn's thought provoking story, I might also add that the reviewer of my textbook for the American Mathematical Society remarked that "It is often deeper to know why something is true rather than to have a proof that it is true." This is for you students and other overly mathematical young people to think about. I can hardly believe it: I was just recently joking around with Raoul when he was here in Santa Barbara, as Marty Einhorn mentioned. I got to know Bott during the 1998 Les Houches meeting (a very nice meeting by the way, see the book Quantum Field Theory: Perspective and Prospective.) I was his downstairs neighbor and every evening he would invite me up to his place for a drink (this is consistent with Sean’s and David’s stories) while we looked at the Alps. Naturally, I was reminded of the opening sentence of my quantum field theory textbook talking about the ephemeral nature of life. I wanted to also mention the Chinese proverb about life being a passing illusion but with the joking tone of the book I was already testing the limit of Princeton University Press. So anyway, you guys in theoretical physics, remember this proverb when you fight over credits and references.

Regarding Shawn’s thought provoking story, I might also add that the reviewer of my textbook for the American Mathematical Society remarked that “It is often deeper to know why something is true rather than to have a proof that it is true.” This is for you students and other overly mathematical young people to think about.

]]> By: Martin Einhorn http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8924 Martin Einhorn Wed, 28 Dec 2005 00:57:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8924 During the KITP program on Mathematical Structures in String Theory, Michael Atiyah and Is Singer invited Raoul to spend about two weeks visiting from Carlsbad (north of San Diego,) where he was living with his daughter. He was in very good spirits and actively participated in seminars. http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/directory/photos/details.php?namecode=BOTT_R00 Since Bott was too frail to travel extensively, Sir Michael arranged for Bott to be inducted into the Royal Society in a brief ceremony in the new courtyard. For photos, see http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/other/events/bott_induction. I thought that Atiyah's and Bott's remarks were recorded, but I can't find them. During the KITP program on Mathematical Structures in String Theory, Michael Atiyah and Is Singer invited Raoul to spend about two weeks visiting from Carlsbad (north of San Diego,) where he was living with his daughter. He was in very good spirits and actively participated in seminars.
http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/directory/photos/details.php?namecode=BOTT_R00

Since Bott was too frail to travel extensively, Sir Michael arranged for Bott to be inducted into the Royal Society in a brief ceremony in the new courtyard. For photos, see
http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/other/events/bott_induction.
I thought that Atiyah’s and Bott’s remarks were recorded, but I can’t find them.

]]> By: Not Even Wrong » Blog Archive » Raoul Bott 1923-2005 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8923 Not Even Wrong » Blog Archive » Raoul Bott 1923-2005 Fri, 23 Dec 2005 14:12:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8923 [...] Update: Other blog entries about Bott can be found here, here, and here. [...] […] Update: Other blog entries about Bott can be found here, here, and here. […]

]]> By: David http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8922 David Fri, 23 Dec 2005 08:46:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/12/22/raoul-bott-1923-2005/#comment-8922 Sad news indeed. I imagine many people who met Bott have an anecdote to tell, and here's mine. By amazing coincidence he happened to be in town at the time of my thesis defense and my advisor talked him into coming along. He slept through most of it, but I fondly remember having a laugh with him before things got underway: Bott: So, are you going to get drunk if you pass? Me: Yes, for sure. And if I fail I'll get even drunker... Sad news indeed. I imagine many people who met Bott have an anecdote to tell, and here’s mine. By amazing coincidence he happened to be in town at the time of my thesis defense and my advisor talked him into coming along. He slept through most of it, but I fondly remember having a laugh with him before things got underway:
Bott: So, are you going to get drunk if you pass?
Me: Yes, for sure. And if I fail I’ll get even drunker…

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