Skip Garibaldi
Encyclopedia
Skip Garibaldi is an American mathematician doing research on algebraic group
s and especially exceptional groups. He is currently Winship Distinguished Research Professor at Emory University
.
, where he earned B.S.'s in mathematics and in computer science. He then obtained a PhD in mathematics from University of California, San Diego
in 1998. His doctoral thesis was on triality
and algebraic groups. After holding positions at ETH Zurich
and UCLA, he joined the faculty at Emory University in 2002.
In 2011 he received the Lester R. Ford Award from the Mathematical Association of America
.
" written with Alexander Merkurjev
and Jean-Pierre Serre
, which gives the foundations of the theory of cohomological invariants of algebraic groups. His long work "Cohomological invariants: exceptional groups and Spin groups" built on this theme.
He received press coverage for his paper "There is no Theory of Everything inside E8" with Jacques Distler
debunking Garrett Lisi's "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
".
He is also known for his less-technical articles on the lottery and trigonometry. He contributed to a story in Slate magazine
by Chris Wilson about arranging stars on the US flag
that was reported on CBS News Sunday Morning
.
Algebraic group
In algebraic geometry, an algebraic group is a group that is an algebraic variety, such that the multiplication and inverse are given by regular functions on the variety...
s and especially exceptional groups. He is currently Winship Distinguished Research Professor at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
.
Biography
Garibaldi dropped out of high school to attend Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, where he earned B.S.'s in mathematics and in computer science. He then obtained a PhD in mathematics from University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
in 1998. His doctoral thesis was on triality
Triality
In mathematics, triality is a relationship between three vector spaces, analogous to the duality relation between dual vector spaces. Most commonly, it describes those special features of the Dynkin diagram D4 and the associated Lie group Spin, the double cover of 8-dimensional rotation group SO,...
and algebraic groups. After holding positions at ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
and UCLA, he joined the faculty at Emory University in 2002.
In 2011 he received the Lester R. Ford Award from the Mathematical Association of America
Mathematical Association of America
The Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
.
Scientific contributions
His most-cited work is the book "Cohomological invariants in Galois cohomologyGalois cohomology
In mathematics, Galois cohomology is the study of the group cohomology of Galois modules, that is, the application of homological algebra to modules for Galois groups...
" written with Alexander Merkurjev
Alexander Merkurjev
Alexander Merkurjev is a Russian-born American mathematician, who has made major contributions to the field of algebra. Currently Merkurjev is a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.-Awards and distinctions:...
and Jean-Pierre Serre
Jean-Pierre Serre
Jean-Pierre Serre is a French mathematician. He has made contributions in the fields of algebraic geometry, number theory, and topology.-Early years:...
, which gives the foundations of the theory of cohomological invariants of algebraic groups. His long work "Cohomological invariants: exceptional groups and Spin groups" built on this theme.
He received press coverage for his paper "There is no Theory of Everything inside E8" with Jacques Distler
Jacques Distler
Jacques Distler is a physicist currently working in string theory. He has been a professor of physics at the University of Texas at Austin since 1994.-Early life and education:...
debunking Garrett Lisi's "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything
"An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything" is a preprint proposing a basis for a unified field theory, very often referred to as "E8 Theory," which attempts to describe all known fundamental interactions in physics and to stand as a possible theory of everything...
".
He is also known for his less-technical articles on the lottery and trigonometry. He contributed to a story in Slate magazine
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
by Chris Wilson about arranging stars on the US flag
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
that was reported on CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning is an American television news magazine program created by Robert Northshield and original host Charles Kuralt. The program has aired continuously since January 28, 1979 on the CBS Television Network, airing in the Eastern US on Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m...
.