Jonathan Borwein Memorial WebsiteDedicated to the memory of Jonathan M. Borwein, mathematician extraordinaire | |
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Jon was an exceptional person in many respects: a mathematician with an unbelievably large spectrum and of considerable charisma, generosity and humor. He always tried to avoid conflicts, seeking mediation where possible. I appreciated his open-mindedness and his undogmatic views on many issues (not only mathematical issues). I will forever be personally grateful for what he taught me and for his friendship during 38 years. [Michel Thera, Universite de Limoges, France] It is with a great sense of loss and sadness that members and staff of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) mark the passing of Laureate Professor Jonathan Borwein FRSC, FAA, FAAAS, FAMS. The world has lost a remarkable mathematician and AMSI one of its greatest champions. Jon was the chair of AMSI’s Scientific Advisory Committee and a member of the AMSI Board, as well as Laureate Professor in the University of Newcastle’s School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Director of CARMA, the Priority Research Centre in Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications. His deep international leadership experience, Continue reading Jonathan Borwein’s astonishing range and versatility At the recommendation of Brailley Sims of the University of Newcastle, we invited Jonathan Borwein to visit Thailand in April and May, 2013. Jon, Brailley, and Judith seemed to enjoy the trip very much, as they visited many interesting cities and sites in the area. Jon is so strong that he outran our group on a mountain hike. To me, Jon is one of the giants of mathematics. But the way he treated me was unbelievable. He gave advice and encouragement during conversations. And the most exciting work he mentioned was his ongoing work in experimental mathematics. I like Continue reading Jonathan Borwein: A giant to me I first met Jon and Judy at their house in Halifax, where Judy fed me a delicious split-pea soup, Jon talked math, dispensed advice on topics ranging from apartment hunting to paper publishing, and we discovered a shared interest in discussing politics and current events. I was to begin an AARMS postdoc in the math department at Dalhousie with Jon as one of my three co-supervisors later that summer, and was in town looking for a place to live for the coming year and completing paperwork. This day remains in my memory not just because it typified Jon’s warmth and Continue reading What I learned from Jon I met Jon when he had just arrived in Newcastle, Australia. Jon very quickly became and energetic and influential person in the Australian mathematical community, not in the least due to his personal and fair approach. I teach “Experimental Mathematics” as a Masters course at The University of Melbourne using his books, and was fortunate to have Jon as a guest lecturer on one occasion. I’ll remember Jon as a passionate mathematician as well as a builder, both of mathematics and human relations. I will always remember and acknowledge the support he gave to many of us, often in the Continue reading Jon’s influence in Australian mathematics I first met Jonathan Borwein at the International Conference on Analytic Number Theory held in honor of Heini Halberstam at Allerton Park, Illinois in May 1995, about the same time I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with my Ph.D. However, we had been communicating by email about some formulas of Ramanujan for about a year prior to that first meeting, and I had been keenly aware of his mathematical interests relating to computational complexity since the late 1980s while still an undergraduate student at Waterloo. Later in the summer of 1995, I learned that my NSERC post-doctoral Continue reading Recollections of Jon at the CECM I am proudly one of Jon’s 42 postdoctoral students, and I can attest that he was a wonderful mentor. Probably, his best quality as an advisor was his ability to discover and develop the potential of each of his students, while doing whatever was at his hand to promote our professional careers. Unquestionably, Jon left his trademark in all of us. It was impossible to work with him without learning, as his vast knowledge would inexorably force you to expand yours. He was such an excellent communicator that we all ended up trying to mimic him. Even during his more Continue reading Farewell to a great mentor Last week was a sad week. A great man passed away. But … looking at the web, at Mathscinet, at Google Scholar, … Jonathan Borwein will always exist in the mathematics community. I really did not know Jon well. In fact, my contact with him was mainly via his good friend and colleague David Bailey. We work in different fields, but with a great common point: Experimental Mathematics, where Jon was (and he is, and he will be) one of the most remarkable and influential members. This permitted us to develop a joint paper (also with Bailey) pointing out to Continue reading Last week was a sad week I first met Jon Borwein at an Optimization Day workshop at Ballarat University, Australia, in 1999. I was immediately impressed by the power and clarity of Jon’s expertise in convex analysis and optimization. His presentations were always entertaining and insightful. His books are little treasures. The breadth of his knowledge was enormous—not only in relation to the subject matter itself but also to the history and wider relevance of the topic. Jon’s sense of humour was acute. I’m not sure which talk it was—possibly an invited lecture at the annual conference of the Australian Mathematical Society (Aust MS)—but I remember Continue reading My memories of Jon Borwein It is my sad duty to report that our colleague Jonathan Borwein, Laureate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Newcastle, Australia, has passed away at the age of 65. He is survived by his wife Judith and three daughters. For details on his funeral and for making donations to a scholarship fund in his name, see the obituary below. Jonathan M. Borwein What can one say about Jon’s professional accomplishments? Adjectives such as “profound,” “vast” and “far-ranging” don’t really do justice to his work, the sheer volume of which is astounding: 388 published journal articles, plus another 103 Continue reading Jonathan Borwein dies at 65 |
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