“Bulletin Board”

 School of Mathematics - July 3, 2002

Some reflections on
The Workshop on Homological Methods in Commutative Algebra

 
 Luchezar L. Avramov:

"From the beginning, I felt that the decision to organize a Workshop in Commutative Algebra in Iran came at the right time -- the stream of publications from the country was intensifying, and the new names appearing on them testified to a popularity of the subject with young researchers. The invitation to take part in the workshop offered a possibility to discuss mathematics with my Iranian colleagues, and a promise to discover their country. My only reservation came from a perception that there might not be enough time left to organize such an ambitious meeting. I should not have worried: the organization was flawless. As all the guests soon found out, this was due not to a long-running expertise with similar projects, but to the total dedication of all our hosts, independent of whether they were secretarial staff, graduate students, or faculty. Each morning, the delightful daily news release added a touch of humor to a very serious matter -- the scientific program for the day ahead. That program was tight, probably unbearable for anybody less that enthusiastic about commutative ring theory; fortunately for them, such people never turned up. The lectures were diverse, but uniformly well prepared. For some young Iranian mathematicians this might have been the first opportunity to present their research to an international audience. I was happy to be part of it."



Winfried Bruns:

"I am very happy to have had the opportunity to participate in the workshop on "Homological Methods in Commutative Algebra". For me it was an excellent opportunity to meet a large number of Iranian mathematicians who are interested in my own field of research. Moreover, I had the chance to learn methods and results of representation theory and homological algebra. The organization of the workshop was excellent in every respect. The program was very carefully chosen, and contained a large number of very good contributions. The lecture rooms and their equipment were in very adequate condition, and the timing of the schedule was generous enough to give the participants a real chance for discussions. Needless to say that IPM is a very beautifully located institute. It was a nice idea to have so many digital pictures taken of the workshop and to distribute them to the participants. I also enjoyed the social program very much, especially the workshop dinner and the excursion to Isfahan with its overwhelming monuments of Islamic architecture."



Edgar E. Enochs:

"The conference "Homological Methods in Commutative Algebra" was one of the best run conferences that I have attended. The size was just right. It was easy to get to meet almost everyone that was there. The talks were interesting and were closely related. It was good to get to know so many Iranian mathematicians. I came home inspired. The entertainment (the music, visits to museums, the trip to Esfahan and also the daily news letter) was outstanding. The only things that I can think to complain about are: in the list of participants only the initials (and not the first names) of the Iranian participants were listed- and along with the photo of the whole group we didn't get a diagram saying who was who. Many thanks to IPM and all those who worked so hard to make this conference succeed."



Jüergen Herzog:

"This workshop was an outstanding event among the international mathematical conferences of the last years. It was exceptional with respect to many aspects. The lectures, reflecting the state of the art in commutative and homological algebra, were all of high quality and the program was well structured. The combination of expository talks of senior mathematicians and the presentation of research talks by younger researchers, mostly from Iran, made these lectures stimulating for all participants. I was impressed and delighted by the fact how many young and strong mathematicians in Iran are working in commutative algebra. Between the lectures and at lunch time I had many occasions to discuss mathematical questions with students from Iran, and noticed their profound mathematical background. Certainly the beautiful location of the institute and the wonderful park around the building contributed to create such a nice atmosphere of mathematical interaction between all participants. All this would not have been possible without the superb organization of the meeting by Professor Siamak Yassemi and his collaborators. I was deeply impressed by the overwhelming hospitality and friendliness of the Iranian people as well as of the cultural heritage of Iran which we got to know for example in the marvelous carpet museum in Tehran, during the excellent presentation of classical Iranian music and when we visited Isfahan with its splendid architecture. I don't want to miss these impressions anymore. I expect that this workshop initiates new international scientific cooperations and exchange in the future. "



Overtoun M.G. Jenda:

"This was an excellent workshop. The lectures were of very high quality. I liked the fact that the lectures were comprehensive and closely related. This allowed beginners to have a good understanding of the material while at the same time being exposed to what experts in this area are currently working on. The Workshop was very well organized. Dr. Siamak Yassemi helped us with our travel arrangements before we left for Iran and when we got there he and the rest of the workshop organizers worked very hard to make our stay in Iran enjoyable and flawless. The Daily News was a novel idea and an excellent one. The visit to Saad Abad Palace, the Social Event, the walk to the Park-e Jamshidieh, the trip to the Carpet Museum of Iran, and the Nassehpoor Ensemble Concert were such a treat! And to top it all, there was that wonderful and memorable trip to Isfahan. I found Iranians very friendly and hospitable. It was enjoyable talking to students, faculty, staff and their families. Even at the hotel or restaurants, people reached out to make us feel at home. Areas to improve on? None. I do not see how you can top this!"





See Photos of the Workshop:
http://math.ipm.ac.ir/conferences/2002/homological/selection/
 
 
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