Harold Mortimer Edwards, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 6, 1936 |
| Died | November 11, 2020 (aged 84)[2] |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Spouse(s) | Betty Rollin, journalist and author |
| Awards | Leroy P. Steele Prize |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | New York University |
| Doctoral advisor | Raoul Bott |
Harold Mortimer Edwards, Jr. (August 6, 1936 – November 10, 2020) was an American mathematician working in number theory, algebra, and the history and philosophy of mathematics.
He was one of the co-founding editors, with Bruce Chandler, of The Mathematical Intelligencer.[1] He is the author of expository books on the Riemann zeta function, on Galois theory, and on Fermat's Last Theorem. He wrote a book on Leopold Kronecker's work on divisor theory providing a systematic exposition of that work—a task that Kronecker never completed. He wrote textbooks on linear algebra, calculus, and number theory. He also wrote a book of essays on constructive mathematics.
Edwards graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1956, received a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1957, and a Ph.D from Harvard University in 1961, under the supervision of Raoul Bott.[3] He taught at Harvard and Columbia University; he joined the faculty at New York University in 1966, and was an emeritus professor starting in 2002.[1]
In 1980, Edwards won the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition of the American Mathematical Society, for his books on the Riemann zeta function and Fermat's Last Theorem.[4] For his contribution in the field of the history of mathematics he was awarded the Albert Leon Whiteman Memorial Prize by the AMS in 2005.[5] In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.[6]
Edwards was married to Betty Rollin, a former NBC News correspondent, author, and breast cancer survivor.[7] Edwards died on November 10, 2020, of colon cancer.[2]