Brazilian mathematician Jacob Palis, a giant of science, dies.

The mathematician Jacob Palis, former director-general of IMPA and former president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), died this Wednesday (7), at the age of 85, in Rio de Janeiro. Member of ten National Academies of Sciences and Doctor Honoris Causa of nine universities in Brazil and the world, he was one of the leading scientists and most awarded and respected mathematicians in the country.

“Jacob is, quite simply, a giant of our science. His strategic vision, his leadership, and his scientific contribution have revolutionized the face of mathematics and science practiced in Brazil and Latin America, influencing institutions and inspiring young people whose lives he has profoundly impacted, and among whom I am honored to include myself,” said the Director-General of IMPA, Marcelo Viana, who was mentored by him.

Jacob Palis's life was inspired by uncertainty, the essential raw material of a mathematician dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the chaos of Dynamical Systems. Born in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Jacob arrived in Rio at the age of 16 determined to study engineering. Although he had already decided to be a scientist and dedicate himself to mathematics, he believed that it was in engineering that "good mathematics" was done.

He came in first place in the entrance exam for the University of Brazil, now the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where he graduated in 1962. He left university with the first trophy of his career in hand, the title of Best Undergraduate Student. At the time, he was already a regular attendee of the seminars at the newly created IMPA (Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics) on Saturday afternoons.

Stephen Smale, a Fields Medalist, as mentor and friend.

He ended up doing an internship at the institution, but he was fixated on studying with the "best mathematician in the world" at that time. When he asked Elon Lages Lima who that person was, he heard it was "the American Stephen Smale".

One of the most brilliant mathematicians of all time, Smale would win the Fields Medal, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in mathematics, shortly afterward, in 1966. At the time, he divided his time between political activities and supervising doctoral students. The uncertainty did not deter Jacob Palis, who embarked for Berkeley in 1964 with a dream and a Fulbright Commission scholarship to support himself.

The partnership with Smale was very successful and led to a lifelong friendship, with reciprocal visits. In a sense, they were similar in their approach to the subject without delving into too many technical details. "It was always the global vision that prevailed," he said. And he watched his advisor win the prestigious Fields Medal while still pursuing his doctorate. "It was quite an event!"

After completing his doctorate, he spent another year in the United States as a researcher at Brown University and an assistant professor at the University of California. Breaking with the norm at the time, he decided to return to Brazil in 1968.

His first job was at UFRJ, but he soon realized that the university at the time did not offer the research model he dreamed of. That's when he settled at IMPA, where he helped build a research and higher education model that he felt was appropriate.

Leadership in mathematics and science in Brazil

In the early 1970s, he made pioneering contributions that were fundamental to the theory of bifurcations and also to creating the basis for a cosmopolitan scientific culture in Brazil. He organized the 1971 International Symposium on Dynamical Systems, opening the doors of IMPA to renowned international visitors, who helped build Brazilian mathematics.

His vision allowed talented young people to no longer need to leave the country to develop pioneering research, cementing Brazil's excellence in the discipline, which today is part of Group 5 of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), among the 12 most advanced countries in the field.

In the 1980s, Jacob Palis began holding positions within the international mathematics structure, while also assuming important roles in Brazil. From 1993 to 2003, he was the Director-General of IMPA, leading its transformation into a Social Organization, which gave the institute more autonomy and flexibility, allowing for its growth and internationalization. In 1998, he was elected president of the IMU, the highest authority in world mathematics. From 2007 to 2016, he presided over the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, becoming known for advocating for a minimum investment of 2% of the national GDP in the field – although even today it does not exceed 1.2%.

A champion of international networks, he led the founding of the Latin American and Caribbean Mathematical Union (UMALCA) in 1995. An active mentor, he did not allow the bureaucracy of academic management positions to prevent him from researching and teaching. His academic genealogy includes at least 42 students and 141 descendants – PhDs trained by others he trained. The most outstanding is his "academic grandson," Artur Avila, a researcher at IMPA, winner of the Fields Medal, and the only recipient of this honor entirely trained in the developing world.

He also had plenty of time to dedicate to his own research. Jacob was one of the most respected and awarded researchers in Brazilian mathematics, with important works on the most chaotic regions of various families of dynamical systems. He lived inspired by uncertainties. Among many other fundamental contributions, in the 1990s he formulated a global vision of the theory of dynamical systems that still constitutes one of the main research topics in the area, inspiring generations of young and senior researchers.

His career was recognized by dozens of awards, such as the Grand Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit (1994); the Inter-American Prize for Science (1995); Officer of the Legion of Honor (2018); Trieste Prize for Science (2006); Balzan Prize in Mathematics (2010). He was a member of ten National Academies of Sciences (including those of the USA, France, Russia, and Europe) and held honorary doctorates from nine universities in Brazil and around the world, among other achievements.

Jacob Palis leaves behind his children Rebeca, Carlos Emanuel, and Laura, his wife Suely Lima, five grandchildren, as well as a great legacy for world mathematics and an example of a life dedicated to science.

The wake will take place at Memorial do Carmo, chapel 4, this Thursday (8), from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.