Oscar Zariski

Algebraic geometry is a field of mathematics that dates to the ancient Babylonians and Greeks, which studies the solution of systems of polynomial equations. During the 19th and the early part of the !th century, the so"called #talian $chool of Algebraic Geometry made important progress on these matters. %ussian"born American mathematician Oscar Zariski (April &, 1'99 ( )uly &, 19'*+ was considered an ,adopted- member of the #talian school. During the 19.!s #talian algebraic geometers persisted in their emphasis on ,classical,- mainly pro/ecti0e techniques. 1owe0er, their American counterparts, including 2ariski, were more attracted to modern topological and algebraic languages and tools, as found in B.3. 4an der 5aerden6s classic Moderne Algebra. 5hile preparing his mathematical classic Algebraic Surfaces 719.8+, 2ariski became ,disgusted- with the methods of the #talian algebraic geometers and their lack of rigor. 1is book, which summari9ed the work of the #talian school, marked the beginning of his efforts to rebuild algebraic geometry by its fusion with modern commutati0e algebra, particularly the work of :mmy ;oether and 5olfgang <rull. During his long career, 2ariski obtained ground"breaking results in algebra and algebraic geometry, li0ing to see another transformation of algebraic geometry in the late 198!s and 19*!s, which left 2ariski somewhat behind, but, ne0ertheless, the re0olution pleased him, because it was partly led by his students.

=ur sub/ect was born Ascher 2aritsky in <obrin, Belarus, then a part of the %ussian :mpire. 1is father, a >almudic scholar, died when 2aritsky was two, and his mother was left to support se0en children. $he was so successful in running a store that her family became one of the wealthiest in <obrin. 5hen 55# fighting reached the Belarus region, 2aritsky and his brother fled to ?hernigo0 in the @kraine,

where his mathematical ability was re0ealed at the Gymnasium. Because <obrin was under German occupation during 55#, he was unable to see his mother again until 191'. #n 191'" !, 2aritsky attended the @ni0ersity of <ie0 while battles raged in the streets between the ?9ar6s soldiers and the %ed army. After the ?ommunists took <ie0, they abolished eAaminations but 2aritsky secretly took them at the homes of his professors. By the time he returned to <obrin, the peace treaty between %ussia and newly independent Boland put <obrin in Boland. 1e had to choose between %ussian and Bolish citi9enship. 1e chose the latter, because he wished to study mathematics in 5estern :urope and, it was easier for a Bolish citi9en to get a passport to #taly.

2aritsky first went to the @ni0ersity of Bisa but found its mathematics department inferior to what he was used to in <ie0, so he mo0ed on to the @ni0ersity of %ome. >here he came under the influence of Guido ?astelnuo0o, Cederigo :nriques, and Crancesco $e0eri, leaders of the #talian school of algebraic geometry. 2aritsky completed his doctorate in 19 & with a thesis on sol0ing equations by radicals, super0ised by ?astelnuo0o. >hat same year he married Dole ?agli, an #talian literature student. Because of his )ewish heritage and ?ommunist sympathies, he could not /oin the @ni0ersity faculty. :nriques suggested that Ascher 2aritsky change his name to the more #talian"sounding =scar 2ariski, and this was the name under which his first paper was published. 5hen Eussolini and his fascists took control of the country, their hatred of )ews made it necessary for 2ariski to lea0e.

$olomon 3efschet9 of Brinceton @ni0ersity, who helped many :uropean mathematicians escape the persecutions of the ;a9is and the fascists, arranged for 2ariski to be appointed to a position at )ohns 1opkins @ni0ersity. 1e had to be separated from his wife and child for a year while he earned enough to bring them to America. At 1opkins, his teaching load was eighteen credits, and the administration was not sympathetic to his desire to do mathematical research. Det, while at 1opkins, he carried out his pro/ect of applying modern algebra to the foundations of algebraic geometry. >his work earned him a

Guggenheim fellowship for 19.9"&!. 1is plans to use it to 0isit :ngland were spoiled by the outbreak of 55##. >he war also cut off all communication with his mother and other relati0es in Boland. As much as he wished to lea0e 1opkins, and despite the fact that his reputation as a mathematician was firmly established, academic positions during the war were in short supply. At the in0itation of the $tate Department he 0isited $Fo Baulo in 19&8, where he worked with his friend and only student AndrG 5eil. 5hile in Bra9il, he learned that the ;a9is had killed most of his relati0es, including his mother.

5hen 2ariski returned to the @.$., he resigned from 1opkins to take a position at the @ni0ersity of #llinois. >he neAt year he was offered a permanent position at 1ar0ard @ni0ersity, where he spent the rest of his career, making 1ar0ard a world center for algebraic geometry. 5ith Bierre $amuel he wrote the two"0olume work Commutative Algebra, which is still a standard teAtbook. 2ariski was an eAcellent teacher who ser0ed as a powerful model to the many outstanding students he influenced. Among these was Da0id Bryant Eumford, who recalledH ,=scar 2ariski bewitched me. 5hen he spoke the words Ialgebraic 0ariety,6 there was a certain resonance in his 0oice that said distinctly that he was looking into a secret garden. # immediately wanted to be able to do this too. #t led me to 8 years of struggling to make this world tangible and 0isible.-

5hat is most important about the work of 2ariski is that in attempting to rework the foundations of algebraic geometry, he first turned to topological questions and then began to lay the commutati0e algebraic foundations of the sub/ect. Eany of the ideas he pioneered were inno0ations in topology as well as algebraic geometry and ha0e been de0eloped independently in the two fields e0er since. As mathematics grows and matures there are many strings hanging out /ust waiting for someone to come along and braid them.

2ariski was a ma/or contributor to the American Eathematical $ociety, ser0ing as its 0ice"president between 19*! and 19*1, and its president from 19*9 to 19J!. 2ariski retired in 19*9 and in the 19J!s suffered from Al9heimer6s disease, making his last few years 0ery difficult ones. #n 19'1, the American Eathematical $ociety awarded 2ariski the $teele Bri9e. >hat same year, 2ariski was awarded the 5olf Bri9e, established in 19J* by in0entor, diplomat and philanthropist, Dr. %icardo 5olf, ,to promote science and art for the benefit of mankind. 5hen informed of the honor, 2ariski is said to ha0e eAclaimed, ,>oo lateK-

Quotation of the Day: ,#n LAlgebraic SurfacesM # tried my best to present the underlying ideas of
the ingenious geometric methods and proofs with which the #talian geometers were handling these deeper aspects Lof birational algebraic geometryM of the whole theory of surfaces N # began to feel distinctly unhappy about the rigor of the original proofs 7without losing in the least my admiration for the imaginati0e geometric spirit that permeated these proofs+O # became con0inced that the whole structure must be done o0er again by purely algebraic methods.- ( =scar 2ariski