HAROLD EDWARDS

EDWARDS--Harold Mortimer. Harold Edwards, known by his large circle of friends as Ed, died of colon cancer on November 10 at 84 at his home in New York City. He was a mathematician working in number theory, algebra, and the history and philosophy of mathematics. Ed was co-founding editor, with Bruce Chandler, of The Mathematical Intelligencer. He authored expository books on the Riemann zeta function, on the Galois theory, and on Fermat's Last Theorem. He wrote a book on Leopold Kronecker's work on divisor theory, providing a systematic exposition of that work, a task that Kronecker never completed. Edwards wrote textbooks on linear algebra, calculus, and number theory in addition to a book of essays on constructive mathematics. Before his death, Edwards was working on a mathematical paper, "The Triad," which colleagues will attempt to publish. Professor Edwards was invited to speak on mathematics and the history of mathematics all over the world, and notably delivered lectures in French and in German. He picked up foreign languages with ease and impeccable accuracy. Edwards received his Ph.D. in 1961 from Harvard University, under the supervision of Raoul Bott. He taught at Harvard and Columbia University and joined the faculty of New York University in 1966, where he was professor emeritus since 2002. In 1980, Professor Edwards won the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition of the American Mathematical Society. For his contribution in the field of the history of mathematics, in 2005 he was awarded the Albert Leon Whiteman Memorial Prize by the American Mathematical Society. In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. Dr. Edwards was brilliant, charming, a prince among men, and a devoted husband to the love of his life, Betty Rollin, a former NBC news correspondent and author. In Last Wish, Betty wrote about her mother's terminal cancer and their involvement in her suicide. Betty and Ed went on to became active in the movement to legalize physical assisted dying. As of now, there is no law in New York which would have allowed Dr. Edwards to die with assistance as he wanted to do. In addition to mathematics, Ed loved history, philosophy, and long talks with his many friends. He was a master chronicler of his and other's lives. Ed loved a good anecdote, a good book, fine music and scrabble, at which he was a master. He will be sorely missed.