Alain Connes
{{short description|French mathematician (born 1947)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Alain Connes
| image = Alain_Connes.jpg
| alt = Photo of the upper body of Alain Connes with vegetation, blue sky, and clouds in the background
| caption = Alain Connes in 2004
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|04|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = Draguignan, France
| death_date =
| death_place =
| fields = Mathematics
Particle physics
| workplaces = Collège de France
IHÉS
Ohio State University
Vanderbilt University
| alma_mater = École Normale Supérieure
Pierre and Marie Curie University
| thesis_title = A Classification of Factors of Type III
| thesis_year = 1973
| doctoral_advisor = Jacques Dixmier
| doctoral_students = Jean-Benoît Bost
Georges Skandalis
| known_for = Baum–Connes conjecture
Noncommutative geometry
Noncommutative standard model
Operator algebras
Thermal time hypothesis
| awards = Peccot-Vimont Prize (1976)
CNRS Silver Medal (1977)
Ampère Prize (1980)
Fields Medal (1982)
Clay Research Award (2000)
Crafoord Prize (2001)
CNRS Gold medal (2004)
| website = {{URL|https://alainconnes.org/}}
| footnotes =
}}
Alain Connes ({{IPA|fr|alɛ̃ kɔn|lang}}; born 1 April 1947) is a French mathematician, known for his contributions to the study of operator algebras and noncommutative geometry. He was a professor at the {{Lang|fr|Collège de France|italic=no}}, {{Lang|fr|Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques|italic=no}}, Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University. He was awarded the Fields Medal in 1982.{{Cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=John |last2=Robertson |first2=Edmund |author-link2=Edmund F. Robertson |title=Alain Connes |url=https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Connes/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=MacTutor History of Mathematics archive |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Allyn |date=2021 |title=Interview with Alain Connes |url=https://celebratio.org/Connes_A/article/842/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Celebratio Mathematica |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last1=Skandalis |first1=Georges |author-link=Georges Skandalis |last2=Goldstein |first2=Catherine |author-link2=Catherine Goldstein |date=2007 |title=An interview with Alain Connes, part I |url=https://ems.press/content/serial-issue-files/13664 |journal=EMS Newsletter |publisher=European Mathematical Society |volume=63 |pages=25–30}}{{Cite journal |last1=Skandalis |first1=Georges |author-link=Georges Skandalis |last2=Goldstein |first2=Catherine |author-link2=Catherine Goldstein |date=2008 |title=An interview with Alain Connes, part II |url=https://ems.press/content/serial-issue-files/13672 |journal=EMS Newsletter |publisher=European Mathematical Society |volume=67 |pages=29–33}}
Career
Alain Connes attended high school at {{Interlanguage link|Lycée Saint-Charles (Marseille)|lt=Lycée Saint-Charles|fr|Lycée Saint-Charles (Marseille)}} in Marseille, and was then a student of the classes préparatoires in {{Interlanguage link|Lycée Thiers|lt=Lycée Thiers|fr}}. Between 1966 and 1970 he studied at École normale supérieure in Paris, and in 1973 he obtained a PhD from Pierre and Marie Curie University, under the supervision of Jacques Dixmier.
From 1970 to 1974 he was research fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and during 1975 he held a visiting position at Queen's University at Kingston in Canada.{{cite web |date=2021-04-22 |title=Curriculum Vitae |url=https://alainconnes.org/cv/ |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=Alain Connes}}
In 1976 he returned to France and worked as professor at Pierre and Marie Curie University until 1980 and at CNRS between 1981 and 1984. Moreover, since 1979 he holds the Léon Motchane Chair at IHES.{{Cite web |title=Alain Connes, emeritus professor since 2017 |url=https://www.ihes.fr/en/professeur/alain-connes-2/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=IHES}} From 1984 until his retirement in 2017 he held the chair of Analysis and Geometry at Collège de France.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-11 |title=Alain Connes |url=https://www.college-de-france.fr/fr/chaire/alain-connes-analyse-et-geometrie-chaire-statutaire/biography |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Collège de France |language=fr}}
In parallel, he was awarded a distinguished professorship at Vanderbilt University between 2003 and 2012,{{Cite web |last3=Pm |first3=1:24 |date=4 September 2003 |title=World-class mathematician joins Vanderbilt faculty |url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2003/09/04/world-class-mathematician-joins-vanderbilt-faculty-59929/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |publisher=Vanderbilt University |language=en-US}} and at Ohio State University between 2012 and 2021.
Research
Connes' main research interests revolved around operator algebras. Besides noncommutative geometry, he has applied his works in various areas of mathematics and number theory, differential geometry.Alexander Hellemans, [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-geometer-of-particle "The Geometer of Particle Physics"] Scientific American, 24 July 2006 Since the 1990s, he developed noncommutative geometry.{{cite book | author = Sabine Hossenfelder | title = Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray | isbn=978-0465094257 | year = 2018| publisher = Basic Books }}
In his early work on von Neumann algebras in the 1970s, he succeeded in obtaining the almost complete classification of injective factors. He also formulated the Connes embedding problem.
Following this, he made contributions in operator K-theory and index theory, which culminated in the Baum–Connes conjecture. He also introduced cyclic cohomology in the early 1980s as a first step in the study of noncommutative differential geometry.{{Cite journal |last=Moore |first=Calvin |author-link=Calvin C. Moore |date=1982 |title=The work of Alain Connes |url=https://www.ams.org/journals/notices/198210/198210FullIssue.pdf?cat=fullissue&trk=fullissue198210 |journal=Notices of the American Mathematical Society |volume=29 |issue=6 |pages=499–501}}{{Cite journal |last=Seda |first=Anthony Karel |date=1984 |title=One aspect of the work of Alain Connes |url=https://www.irishmathsoc.org/nl11/nl11_38-48.pdf |journal=Irish Mathematical Society Newsletter |volume=11 |pages=38–48|doi=10.33232/BIMS.0011.38.48 }}{{Cite journal |last=Lesniewski |first=Andrew |date=1997 |title=Noncommutative Geometry |url=https://www.ams.org/notices/199707/lesniewski.pdf |journal=Notices of the American Mathematical Society |volume=44 |issue=7 |pages=800–805}}{{Cite journal |last1=Cornelissen |first1=Gunther |last2=Landsman |first2=Klaas |last3=van Suijlekom |first3=Walter |date=2010 |title=The flashes of insight never came for free |url=https://www.nieuwarchief.nl/serie5/pdf/naw5-2010-11-4-250.pdf |journal=Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=250–256}}
He was a member of Nicolas Bourbaki.{{cite book |title=Bourbaki: a secret society of mathematicians|first=Maurice|last=Mashaal|publisher=American Mathematical Society|year=2006|page=18|isbn=978-0-8218-3967-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-CXn6y_1nJ8C&pg=PA18}} Over many years, he collaborated extensively with Henri Moscovici.
Awards and honours
Connes was awarded the Peccot-Vimont Prize in 1976,{{Cite web |date=2022-05-11 |title=Cours et Prix Claude-Antoine Peccot |trans-title=Claude-Antoine Peccot Lectures and Prizes |url=https://www.college-de-france.fr/fr/prix/cours-et-prix-claude-antoine-peccot |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=College de France |language=fr}} the Ampère Prize in 1980, the Fields Medal in 1982,{{cite web |author1=Albers, Donald J. |author2=Alexanderson, G. L. |author3=Reid, Constance |date=1986 |title=International mathematical congresses. An illustrated history 1893 – 1986 |url=https://www.mathunion.org/fileadmin/IMU/Prizes/Fields/1982/index.html#0x82496a1f_0x0005ea30 |access-date=2018-12-02 |publisher=Springer-Verlag}}{{cite web |author=IMU Secretariat |title=Fields Medal – International Mathematical Union (IMU) |url=https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/fields-medal |access-date=2018-12-02 |publisher=International Mathematical Union}} the Clay Research Award in 2000{{Cite web |title=Research Awards |url=https://www.claymath.org/research |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Clay Mathematics Institute}} and the Crafoord Prize in 2001.{{Cite web |date=2001-01-24 |title=Crafoord Prize to one of the world's foremost mathematicians |url=https://www.crafoordprize.se/news/crafoord-prize-to-one-of-the-worlds-foremost-mathematicians/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences |language=en-GB}}{{cite web |date=2000 |title=Crafoord Prize Laureates |url=https://www.crafoordprize.se/prize-laureate/alain-connes/ |access-date=2018-12-02 |website=Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences }}{{Cite journal |last=Holden |first=Constance |date=2001 |title=French Mathematician Wins Crafoord Prize |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/french-mathematician-wins-crafoord-prize |journal=Science}} The French National Centre for Scientific Research granted him the silver medal in 1977{{Cite web |last=Burgos |first=Valérie |date=2023-01-31 |title=Médailles d'argent du CNRS 1960-2010 |trans-title=Silver medals of the CNRS 1960-2010 |url=https://comihistocnrs.hypotheses.org/2706 |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Comité pour l'histoire du CNRS |doi=10.58079/n1ag |language=fr-FR}} and the gold medal in 2004.{{Cite news |date=2004 |title=Alain Connes, mathématicien, Médaille d'or du CNRS 2004 |trans-title=Alain Connes, mathematician, Gold Medal of CNRS 2004 |url=https://archives.cnrs.fr/presse/article/582 |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=CNRS |language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web |date=2004 |title=Alain Connes, Médaille d'or 2004 du CNRS |trans-title=Alain Connes, 2004 Gold Medal of CNRS |url=http://www2.cnrs.fr/sites/band/fichier/or.pdf |website=CNRS |language=fr}}{{Cite journal |date=2005 |title=Alain Connes: indomitable explorer |url=http://www2.cnrs.fr/sites/band/fichier/ra_2004_gb.pdf |journal=A Year at CNRS 2004 |pages=10–11}}{{Cite web |last=Dumas |first=Cécile |date=2004-11-09 |title=Alain Connes, médaillé d'or du CNRS |trans-title=Alain Connes, gold medal of the CNRS |url=https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/fondamental/alain-connes-medaille-d-or-du-cnrs_22257 |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Sciences et Avenir |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2005 |title=Vanderbilt math professor Alain Connes receives prestigious French science award |url=https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2005/02/16/vanderbilt-math-professor-alain-connes-receives-prestigious-french-science-award-59421/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |publisher=Vanderbilt University |language=en-US}}
He was an invited speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1974 at Vancouver and in 1986 at Berkeley, and a plenary speaker at the ICM in 1978 at Helsinki.
File:Villeneuve-d'Ascq - IUT A - Alain Connes - 3.jpg.]]
He was awarded honorary degrees from Queen's University at Kingston in 1979,{{Cite web |title=1858-2011 Honorary Degree Recipients |url=https://www.queensu.ca/registrar/sites/uregwww/files/uploaded_files/pdfs/HDrecipients.pdf |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Queen's University at Kingston}} University of Rome Tor Vergata in 1997,{{Cite web |title=Lauree Honoris Causa |url=https://web.uniroma2.it/it/contenuto/lauree_honoris_causa |access-date=2023-05-26 |publisher=University of Rome Tor Vergata |language=it}} University of Oslo in 1999,{{Cite web |title=Æresdoktorer ved UiO 2000-2008 |trans-title=Honorary Doctorates UiO 2000-2008 |url=https://www.uio.no/om/tall-og-fakta/aresdoktorer/tidligere-aresdoktorer/2000-2008/ |publisher=Oslo University |language=no}} University of Southern Denmark in 2009, Université libre de Bruxelles in 2010{{Cite web |title=ULB's honorary doctorates |url=https://www.ulb.be/en/about-ulb/ulbs-honorary-doctorates |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Université libre de Bruxelles |language=en}} and Shanghai Fudan University in 2017.
Since 1982 he is a member of the French Academy of Sciences.{{Cite web |title=Alain Connes |url=https://www.academie-sciences.fr/fr/Liste-des-membres-de-l-Academie-des-sciences-/-C/alain-connes.html |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=French Academy of Sciences}} He was elected member of several foreign academies and societies, including the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in 1980,{{Cite web |title=Alain Connes |url=https://www.royalacademy.dk/en/Members/Connes-Alain |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters}} the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 1983,{{Cite web |title=Utenlandske medlemmer |trans-title=Foreign members |url=https://dnva.no/medlemmer/53 |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters |language=nb}} the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1989,{{Cite web |date=2023-02-09 |title=Alain Connes |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/alain-connes |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=American Academy of Arts and Sciences |language=en}} the London Mathematical Society in 1994,{{Cite web |title=London Mathematical Society Honorary Members |url=https://www.lms.ac.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/HONORARY%20MEMBERS_0.pdf |website=London Mathematical Society}} the Canadian Academy of Sciences in 1995 (incorporated since 2002 in the Royal Society of Canada),{{Cite web |title=Member Directory |url=https://rsc-src.ca/en/find-rsc-member/results?combine=&first_name=&last_name=connes¤t_employer=&academy_25=All&is_deceased=All |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=Royal Society of Canada}} the US National Academy of Sciences in 1997,{{Cite web |title=Alain Connes |url=https://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/3003968.html |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=National Academy of Sciences}} the Russian Academy of Science in 2003{{Cite web |title=Конн А.. – Общая информация |trans-title=Conn A. – General information |url=https://www.ras.ru/win/db/show_per.asp?P=.id-53787.ln-en |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=Russian Academy of Sciences |language=ru}} and the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium in 2016.{{Cite web |title=Alain Connes |url=https://academieroyale.be/fr/l-academie-royale-classes-classe-sciences-membres-detail/relations/alain-connes/ |website=Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium |language=fr}}
In 2001 he received (together with his co-authors André Lichnerowicz and Marco Schutzenberger) the Peano Prize for his work Triangle of Thoughts.{{Cite web |date=2015-11-03 |title=Premio Peano {{!}} Associazione Subalpina Mathesis |url=https://www.associazionesubalpinamathesis.it/premio-peano/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |language=it-IT}}
Family
Books
- Alain Connes and Matilde Marcolli, Noncommutative Geometry, Quantum Fields and Motives, Colloquium Publications, American Mathematical Society, 2007, {{ISBN|978-0-8218-4210-2}} [http://www.alainconnes.org/docs/bookwebfinal.pdf]
- Alain Connes, André Lichnerowicz, and Marcel-Paul Schutzenberger, Triangle of Thought, translated by Jennifer Gage, American Mathematical Society, 2001, {{ISBN|978-0-8218-2614-0}}
- Jean-Pierre Changeux and Alain Connes, Conversations on Mind, Matter, and Mathematics, translated by M. B. DeBevoise, Princeton University Press, 1998, {{ISBN|978-0-691-00405-1}}
- Alain Connes, Noncommutative Geometry, Academic Press, 1994, {{ISBN|978-0-12-185860-5}}{{cite journal|author=Segal, Irving|author-link=Irving Segal|title=Book Review: Noncommutative Geometry, by Alan Connes|journal= Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society|series=New Series|year=1996|volume=33|issue=4|pages=459–465|url=https://www.ams.org/journals/bull/1996-33-04/S0273-0979-96-00687-8/S0273-0979-96-00687-8.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.ams.org/journals/bull/1996-33-04/S0273-0979-96-00687-8/S0273-0979-96-00687-8.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|doi=10.1090/s0273-0979-96-00687-8|doi-access=free}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
- [http://www.alainconnes.org/ Alain Connes Official Web Site] containing [http://www.alainconnes.org/en/downloads.php downloadable papers], and his book [http://www.alainconnes.org/docs/book94bigpdf.pdf Non-commutative geometry], {{isbn|0-12-185860-X}}.
- {{nlab|id=Alain+Connes|title=Alain Connes}}
- [http://resonaances.blogspot.com/2007/02/alain-connes-standard-model.html Alain Connes' Standard Model]
- An [http://www.ipm.ac.ir/ViewNewsInfo.jsp?NTID=227 interview with Alain Connes] and a [http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=313 discussion about it]
- {{MathGenealogy|id=34220}}
- {{Google scholar id|OMnIF4sAAAAJ}}
{{Fields medalists}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connes, Alain}}
Category:People from Draguignan
Category:20th-century French mathematicians
Category:21st-century French mathematicians
Category:French mathematical analysts
Category:Differential geometers
Category:Clay Research Award recipients
Category:École Normale Supérieure alumni
Category:Academic staff of the Collège de France
Category:Institute for Advanced Study visiting scholars
Category:Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences
Category:Vanderbilt University faculty
Category:Foreign members of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Category:Members of the French Academy of Sciences
Category:Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Category:Members of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters