Benedict Gross

Benedict Hyman Gross (born June 22, 1950) is an American mathematician who is a professor at the University of California San Diego,[1] the George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Mathematics Emeritus at Harvard University, and former Dean of Harvard College.[2]

Benedict Gross
Born (1950-06-22) June 22, 1950
NationalityAmerican
Alma materHarvard University
Oxford University
Known forGross–Zagier theorem
Gan–Gross–Prasad conjecture
AwardsCole Prize (1987)
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics
InstitutionsHarvard University
UC San Diego
Doctoral advisorJohn Tate
Doctoral students

He is known for his work in number theory, particularly the Gross–Zagier theorem on L-functions of elliptic curves, which he researched with Don Zagier.

Professional career

In 1971 he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University. He then received an M.Sc. from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar in 1974 before returning to Harvard and completing his Ph.D. in 1978, under John Tate.[2][3]

After holding faculty positions at Princeton University and Brown University, Gross became a tenured professor at Harvard in 1985[2] and remained there subsequently, as Dean of Harvard College from 2003 to 2007.[4]

Benedict Gross was the mathematical consultant for the 1980 film It's My Turn containing the famous scene[5] in which actress Jill Clayburgh, portraying a mathematics professor, impeccably proves the snake lemma.[6]

In 2013, while serving as the Chair of the mathematics department at Harvard University, Gross was involved as part of an internal effort to arrange for Martin Nowak, an affiliate of the mathematics department, to receive funding from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.[7] According to an internal email contained in a report commissioned by the university,

Professor Gross feels strongly that, given the current federal funding climate, it would be ideal if we could ask Epstein for additional support. Epstein, who keeps in touch with both Gross and Nowak, has offered that he would be willing to provide additional funds both for the Math department and for Professor Nowak’s work. [...] Both Professor Gross and Jeremy Bloxham, [Divisional] Dean of the Sciences, feel that the Math department should be permitted to solicit Epstein for additional funds. They feel that the good his support can do for Professor Nowak’s research outweighs the reputational risk of accepting further funds from him. In addition, they emphasize both that Epstein has served his time for his crime, and that his wealth has been obtained legally, having nothing to do with the crime for which he was convicted.

As noted by the editorial board of the Harvard Crimson, this was during a time when Epstein was using his philanthropy and relationship with Nowak to rehabilitate his public image.[8] According to the report, the efforts of Gross, Bloxham, and Nowak were blocked by Michael Smith, who was then the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Previous efforts by Gross and Nowak to obtain Epstein's funding, around the time of his conviction, had been blocked by Drew Faust, then the president of Harvard College.

Awards and honors

Gross is a 1986 MacArthur Fellow.

Gross, Zagier, and Dorian M. Goldfeld won the Cole Prize of the American Mathematical Society in 1987 for their work on the Gross–Zagier theorem.[9] In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.[10]

Gross was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1992[11] and as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2004.[12] He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2017.[13]

He was named as a Harvard University Professor from 2011 to 2016 for his distinguished scholarship and professional work.

Major publications
  • Gross, Benedict H.; Harris, Joe. Real algebraic curves. Ann. Sci. École Norm. Sup. (4) 14 (1981), no. 2, 157–182.
  • Gross, Benedict H. Heights and the special values of L-series. Number theory (Montreal, Que., 1985), 115–187, CMS Conf. Proc., 7, Amer. Math. Soc., Providence, RI, 1987.
  • Gross, Benedict H. A tameness criterion for Galois representations associated to modular forms (mod p). Duke Math. J. 61 (1990), no. 2, 445–517.
  • Gross, Benedict H.; Prasad, Dipendra. On the decomposition of a representation of SOn when restricted to SOn−1. Canad. J. Math. 44 (1992), no. 5, 974–1002.
  • Gross, Benedict H.; Zagier, Don B. Heegner points and derivatives of L-series. Invent. Math. 84 (1986), no. 2, 225–320.
  • Gross, B.; Kohnen, W.; Zagier, D. Heegner points and derivatives of L-series. II. Math. Ann. 278 (1987), no. 1-4, 497–562.
  • Gan, Wee Teck; Gross, Benedict H.; Prasad, Dipendra. Symplectic local root numbers, central critical L values, and restriction problems in the representation theory of classical groups. Sur les conjectures de Gross et Prasad. I. Astérisque No. 346 (2012), 1–109. ISBN 978-2-85629-348-5

See also

References
  1. Eisner <deisner@ucsd.edu>, Daryl. "UCSD Math | Profile for Benedict Gross". UCSD Math | Profile for Benedict Gross.
  2. Curriculum vitae from Gross' web site at Harvard, retrieved 2010-04-21.
  3. Benedict Gross at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  4. Gross Officially Named Dean of the College, Harvard Crimson, April 8, 2003; Gross Stretches to Prepare for New Roles, Harvard Crimson, May 16, 2003; With Goals Accomplished, Gross Leaves Overhauled College: His efforts were to 'improve the undergraduate experience,' dean says, Harvard Crimson, June 29, 2007; Exit Gross, Harvard Crimson, September 21, 2007.
  5. "It's My Turn (1980) Snake Lemma".
  6. "Benedict Gross – Miscellaneous Crew". IMDb.com.
  7. Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connection to Harvard University. May 2020
  8. The Harvard Crimson. "What Harvard Sold Jeffrey Epstein." Editorial (2020)
  9. Frank Nelson Cole Prize in Number Theory, AMS, retrieved 2010-04-21.
  10. List of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society, retrieved 2013-01-19.
  11. List of Active Members by Classes Archived 2005-05-06 at the Wayback Machine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, retrieved 2010-04-21.
  12. National Academies news: 72 new members chosen by academy Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, The National Academies, April 2004, retrieved 2010-04-21.
  13. "American Philosophical Society: Newly Elected – April 2017". Archived from the original on 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
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