Insights into Mathematical Sciences at Hebrew University

Science and Diversity in a Small Country Gil Kalai Efi Arazi School of Computer Science, Reichman University Einstein Institute of Mathematics Hebrew University of Jerusalem Science thrives as a well-organized mess Prague, May 2025 Discussion on organization of science

Two quotes from Edmund Landau (1925) May great benefit emerge from this house dedicated to pure science, which does not know borders between people and people. And may this awareness emerge from Zion and penetrate the hearts of all those who are still far from this view. We deal with science for the sake of it, and dealing with it was a solace in the days of internal and external war that as Jews and as Germans we fought and still fight today. Edmund Landau b. 1877 (translated from Hebrew) Source: Zionist internationalism through number theory: Edmund Landau at the Opening of the Hebrew University in 1925 by Leo Corry and Norbert Schappacher

Points I raised in my answer: 1. 1. Immigration Immigration; 2. Sabbatical and travel money Sabbatical and travel money; 3. Salaries; 4. Activities for national math society; 5. National mathematical journal; 6. Conferences and visitors 7. Maintaining a sense of tradition Maintaining a sense of tradition Basing activities on areas with long tradition of success which are identified with the country's mathematical strength can be a successful and well accepted by the whole mathematical community. 8. Self Self- -breeding can work breeding can work The success of Israeli mathematical departments was largely based on successful self-breeding, namely absorbing as faculty member people who graduated at the department. 9. Self-confidence, Tolerance for "sporadic"(or non-main-stream) areas (and tolerance in general) 10. Patience, realistic goals, unrealistic dreams;11. Issues concerning high school mathematics; 12. Relation with CS, physics and other disciplines As usual, luck is useful too. Good luck. Question link: Means of Promoting Mathematics in Young Countries! (2011, my answer is based on a document from 2001)

Mathematics at HUJI (1925-1930) Abraham Fraenkel (logic) (logic) PhD Marburg, 1914 Divsha Amir , PhD Geneva, 1924 Edmund Landau PhD Berlin,1901 Jakob Levitzki (algebra) G ttingen 1929 Binyamin Amir PhD G ttingen, 1924 Michael Fekete (analysis) (analysis) PhD Budapest 1909 Isaac Schoenberg, PhD Ia i (G ttingen, Berlin),1926

Logic at HUJI Menachem Menachem Magidor Ph. D. with Azriel Levy. (served as president) Magidor Azriel Levy Azriel Levy (b.1934) Ph.D with Fraenkel and Robinson. Served as the head of the Professors union. Michel Rabin Michel Rabin (b. 1931) M. Sc HUJI; Ph. D. Princeton Served as rector Founded with Eli Shamir Shamir the computer science dept. Wrote: "There was absolutely no appreciation of the work on the issues of computing. Mathematicians did not recognize the emerging new field" Haim Haim Gaifman Gaifman (b. 1934). M. Sc. and HUJI Ph. D at Berkeley. Sharon Shelah Sharon Shelah Ph. D. with Michael Rabin. Itamar Itamar Pitowsky Pitowsky (philosophy) Eli Eliyahu Rips Eliyahu Rips Abraham Fraenkel Abraham Fraenkel (Born 1891) Joined HUJI at 1929 (served as dean and rector; Wrote wonderful math books for High school children) Abraham Abraham Robinson Robinson (b. 1918) Joined HUJI in 1934 as a student and in the 50s as a faculty. (Later moved to UCLA and Yale) Ehud Ehud Hrushovski Hrushovski Zlil Zlil Sela Sela Michael Ben Michael Ben- -Or Avi Avi Wigderson Wigderson Daniel Lehmann Daniel Lehmann Catriel Beeri Catriel Beeri Carl Posy Carl Posy (philosophy) Or Orna Kupferman Orna Kupferman Dorit Aharonov Dorit Aharonov Itai Kaplan Itai Kaplan Chlo Perin Chlo Perin Yair Hayut Yair Hayut Omer Ben Omer Ben- -Neria Guy Katz Guy Katz Mosh Mosh Machover Machover (b. 1936) Yoram Hirshfeld Yoram Hirshfeld (b. 1940). Ph, D, with Robinson, faculty at Tel Aviv U. Yehoshua Bar Yehoshua Bar- - Hillel Hillel b. (1915) Philosophy. Neria

Women in academia; Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion My opinion on diversity (2019): Diversity is an important social and academic value and an important mean for academic excellence. One reason we need to pay special attention to diversity is that there are various mechanisms against diversity that are on their own harmful to academic life and excellence such as dominance of majority/power groups. Academic institutions have the right and duty to form academic policies and pursue them and the duty to enable free debate about these policies.