The bulk of humanity lumbers
Along being bothered by numbers.
A Stein stood apart,
Giving numbers his heart.
Let them mourn at the grave where he slumbers.
7
This obituary reinforces the utilitarian view of mathematics and science versus curiosity unbound. Dr. Stein was of the latter school. He was curious and interested about the world around him, and if you had asked him what his mathematics of vibrations was good for, he might have thought of a few applications, but his real interest was in pure mathematics. It was for others to develop his discoveries into utilitarian benefits. But without the foundation of his pure mathematics, there would be no applications whatsoever.
7
Mathematicians have substitute fathers and sons. Elias Stein was a son of the mathematician, Antoni Zygmund, and a father of Charlie Fefferman. All three are great mathematicians.
7
@Diogenes
Please don’t forget his biological son Jeremy. An excellent economist (Harvard) and a public servant (Ex-Fed governor). Not a mathematician but almost!
5
When one gives an evaluation of a given seminal work it is appropriate to include areas where it left a major imprint.Prof Stein's work immediate classification is Commutative Harmonic Analysis but even when ones intention is to venture to that of The Non-Commutative Harmonic Analysis Advanced Math genre it is most advisable to have ones initiation by trying to grasp Prof.Stein's Classic book on Comm Harm Analysis.It is a rare text and reference which in the context of Adv Math books feels(by the way it is written) like reading a novel.Non-Comm Harm Analysis is a major part of Math of Quantum Physics.MQP is a relatively young Math area (arriving inth50s) which is a means of formulating, describing and understanding relativistic(Sub-Atomic) complex Math Probs.Prof Stein's book is not only elegantly written but the math techniques discussed there describe "Mundane" phenomenon like how a foam at the top of a beer mug forms when pouring and feeling beer on the mug.So, even when a bar tender is feeling a Jug or a glass from the Beer fountain a Math Physic Phenom of high significance is taking place,a phenom Prof. Stein's work can help to best understand.Time to raise a beer filled mug and toast RIP a Math giant Prof Stein.TMD,1 of those an indirect distant Math disciples of Harm Analysis.
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@Tefera Worku Thank you for adding some of the substance of Dr. Stein's work from this sadly lacking obituary. Instead of focusing on utilitarian applications of Dr. Stein's mathematics, the Times might have written something along the lines of what your wrote, along with a real application that all of us can relate to - Pouring and drinking a beer.
5
Hugely important and influential mathematician. On top of being a top notch researcher, he was a superb educator. What luck to have him move to the US and teach so many American and foreign students for so long.
Jeremy Stein, his son is a Harvard economics professor and was a member of the Fed for some years.
We will miss Professor Stein. May he Rest In Peace.
19
Yes, let’s keep out immigrants. Wrong, When building both physical and ideological walls, be careful to consider whom you may be excluding:
51
Eli was more than a fantastic mathematician and mentor. He was a wonderful human being! He promoted harmonic analysis by example and etiquette, and was a natural leader. He was also a good friend to many of his younger colleagues. I didn’t know him well, but one of my best friends was very close to him, and found his passing very difficult to sit with.
On another note, the mathematics he developed, while related and relevant to the study of strings and of sampling and interpolation, was actually first used in the study of heat propagation. It just turned out to be a universal set of ideas. This situation often occurs in mathematics; a good idea can be found in many places, and conversely, one of the measures of a good idea is its ubiquity. This is one of the many things I learned from Eli’s writings.
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