Eric Mark Friedlander earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1970 under the supervision of Michael Artin. His doctoral thesis, titled Fibrations in Étale Homotopy Theory, signaled the start of a long career dedicated to algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, algebraic K-theory, and representation theory within the American academic landscape.
Academic Appointments and Institutional Roles
After receiving his doctorate, Friedlander began his tenure at Princeton University, where he served as a lecturer in 1971 and an assistant professor in 1972. In 1975, he transitioned to Northwestern University, achieving the rank of associate professor before becoming a full professor in 1980. Throughout his time at Northwestern, he held the position of Henry S. Noyes Professor of Mathematics and managed the mathematics department as chairman from 1987 to 1990 and again from 1999 to 2003. Since 2008, he has served as a Dean's Professor at the University of Southern California.
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Friedlander's career is marked by extensive international movement and collaboration. In the mid-1970s, he participated in a United States exchange program at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in France. His career includes visiting scholar roles at ETH Zurich, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn, alongside institutions in Oxford, Cambridge, and Paris. He also conducted research at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, during the 1980s and received a Humboldt Research Award while based at the University of Heidelberg in the late 1990s.
Publications and Professional Contributions
Beyond his teaching, Friedlander has contributed extensively to mathematical literature through authorship and editorial work. He co-authored Cycles, Transfers and Motivic Homology Theories with Andrei Suslin and Vladimir Voevodsky, and published Etale Homotopy of Simplicial Schemes. His editorial portfolio includes the two-volume Handbook of K-Theory and several collections covering algebraic K-theory and topology. He served as a co-editor for the Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra and acted as an invited speaker at the 1998 International Congress of Mathematicians in Berlin.
Fast facts
- Born: 7 January 1944, San Juan
- Education: Swarthmore College (1965), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1970)
- Significant Roles: Chairman of Mathematics, Northwestern University
- Professional Recognition: Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2012)
- Professional Recognition: Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2018)
- Professional Boards: Board of Trustees, American Mathematical Society (since 2000)
- Citizenship: United States
- Fields of Study: Algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, algebraic K-theory
Questions readers ask
What is Eric Friedlander's primary field of research?
He specializes in algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, algebraic K-theory, and representation theory.
Where did Friedlander hold academic positions?
He held positions at Princeton University, Northwestern University, and the University of Southern California.
Achievements
- Held posts at Princeton University, Northwestern University and University of Southern California
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