Prof. Ilya Piatzsky, Shapiro Mauni, Tel Aviv, inventor of the 'inverted sentence', passed away

Professor Ilya Pyattsky Shapiro, one of the greatest mathematicians of our generation, inventor of "THE CONVERSE THEOREM" passed away this week in Tel Aviv at the age of 79

Professor Ilya Piattzky Shapiro from Tel Aviv University, one of the greatest mathematicians of our generation. The inventor of "THE CONVERSE THEOREM" died this week in Tel Aviv at the age of 79. Member of the Israel National Academy of Sciences, winner of the Israel Mathematics Prize (1981) and winner of the prestigious Wolf Prize (1990).

During the last sixty years, Prof. Piatzky Shapiro has made significant contributions in both applied and theoretical mathematics. His works in applied mathematics dealt with cell biology, geophysics, automata, homogeneous networks and digital computers. In the last forty years, his research has focused on theoretical mathematics, especially analytic number theory, representations of bundles and algebraic geometry. But his main contribution and main influence was in the field of automorphic patterns and L functions.

He was born in 1929 in Moscow. His parents came from traditional Jewish families. In 1951 he graduated from Moscow University. Due to being Jewish, he was not allowed to continue his doctoral studies at the university. He received his doctorate from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute. In 1958 he joined the Institute of Applied Mathematics in Moscow. In 1974 he asked for a visa to leave the Soviet Union and was refused. He remained a "Serobnik" until 1976, when he received the long-awaited exit visa and left the Soviet Union. He joined as a full professor in the Department of Mathematics at Tel Aviv University, an appointment he held until his retirement in 1997. At the same time he was a professor of mathematics at Yale University.

One of his famous theorems was "THE CONVERSE THEOREM" which became a crucial tool in the study of automorphic representations. This theorem is cited and applied in countless mathematical studies.

Professor Piatecki Shapiro educated many students, and most of them are today active mathematicians whose work is influenced by his deep ideas and far-sighted mathematical vision, and they also pass on his legacy to the next generation of young mathematicians.

Prof. Michael Kriblevitz, head of the Raymond and Beverley Sackler School of Mathematical Sciences, noted that Prof. Piatzky Shapiro was among the great mathematicians of our time.
"Prof. Piatzky Shapiro made a decisive contribution to the reputation of the School of Mathematics at Tel Aviv University and of Israeli mathematics in general. The faculty of the School of Mathematical Sciences owes him thanks for that." Prof. Kribelevich said