Jean Taylor

Jean Taylor. An American mathematician renowned for her pioneering work in geometric measure theory and the mathematics of soap bubbles and crystalline structures. Her research provided a rigorous mathematical foundation for the geometric patterns observed in nature, solving long-standing problems in materials science and differential geometry. Taylor is a professor emeritus at Rutgers University and a former long-term member of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

Early life and education

Born in San Mateo, California, she developed an early interest in science and mathematics. She completed her undergraduate studies in chemistry at Mount Holyoke College, a prominent Seven Sisters (colleges) institution, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her academic focus shifted towards mathematics during her graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Under the supervision of Frederick J. Almgren Jr., a leading figure in geometric measure theory, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy in 1973. Her doctoral dissertation on the regularity of the singular set in geometric variational problems laid the groundwork for her future celebrated results.

Career and research

Taylor's early career included positions at University of California, Berkeley and a long-term visiting membership at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. She later joined the faculty of Rutgers University, where she spent the majority of her career. Her most famous achievement was providing the first complete mathematical proof for the Plateau's laws governing the structure of soap films, using sophisticated techniques from geometric measure theory and calculus of variations. This work conclusively described the precise 120-degree angle at which soap films meet. She also made fundamental contributions to understanding crystalline growth and mineralogy, mathematically explaining the shapes of snowflakes and crystals. Her research intersected with materials science, statistical mechanics, and partial differential equations.

Awards and honors

In recognition of her transformative contributions, Taylor was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (often called the "genius grant") in 1976. The American Mathematical Society honored her with the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research in 1993 for her work on soap bubbles and crystals. She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2012, she was part of the inaugural class of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society. She has also delivered prestigious invited lectures, including addresses at the International Congress of Mathematicians.

Personal life

Taylor is married to fellow mathematician Frederick J. Almgren Jr., who was also her doctoral advisor. She has been active in efforts to promote women in mathematics, serving as a role model and mentor. Her career path from chemistry to mathematics exemplifies interdisciplinary scientific inquiry. She resides in New Jersey and maintains an emeritus affiliation with Rutgers University.

Selected publications

Key publications include her seminal 1976 paper "The structure of singularities in soap-bubble-like and soap-film-like minimal surfaces" in the journal Annals of Mathematics. Another major work is "Crystalline variational problems" in the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society. Her research is also detailed in the monograph "Regularity of the singular set of two-dimensional area-minimizing flat chains modulo 3" in the journal Inventiones Mathematicae. These publications are frequently cited in the fields of geometric analysis and materials science.

Category:American mathematicians Category:Geometers Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Mount Holyoke College alumni Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni