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Media Relations

Scientist at work: Roger Temam

For the past 10 years a tree has been growing in the field of mathematics. Its branches consist of more than 130,000 mathematicians who have registered on a Web site for the Mathematics Genealogy Project. The project allows those interested to trace their academic lineage -- or who studied with whom -- back as far as 1650 to legends such as Euler and Lagrange. And it enables professors to track their own students on the mathematical family tree.

Recently, Indiana University Professor Roger Temam celebrated his 100th registered mentee -- more than any other individual on the tree.

Temam began his teaching career at the University of Paris when he received his first degree in mathematics in 1960. Just 20 years old, he immediately began teaching while working on his higher-level degrees. By 1968, he became an associate professor solely responsible for his own classes and students. Forty years later his career has been recognized by the French Academy of Sciences, who recently elected Temam into their prestigious ranks. Although Temam's tenure has been long and successful, he is still teaching math to college students, but instead of imparting his knowledge to young French students, he is shaping some of the best math minds at Indiana University.

"There's no measurable difference between students in the 1960's and today," said Temam. "Smart people are smart people, and hard-working people are hard-working people. You have to be both to succeed in any scientific field, and mathematics is no exception."

Many of his pupils have gone on to great success both in France and the United States. A large number of them are very well established in the field and several have even become professors themselves. Temam says he still keeps in touch with many of his students, although he's had far too many to keep tabs on every one of them.

Temam taught in France until 1986 and made frequent trips to the United States to collaborate on his research, in particular at Indiana University with distinguished professor Ciprian Foias. Then, during a sabbatical in the fall of 1985, Indiana University made him "a very nice offer" that he couldn't refuse. And 20 years later he still enjoys the setting and working conditions provided by Bloomington and Indiana University. Until he retired from his French position several years ago, Temam taught both in France and the United States while pioneering one of today's most important fields in mathematics -- computer applications for mathematics.

"Computers were a new branch in the field of applied mathematics. I had some success in Paris developing a group in numerical analysis and scientific computing, and Indiana University hired me to do the same here," said Temam, who is the director of the Institute for Scientific Computing and Applied Mathematics at IU.

The institute works on theoretical equations and developing computational computer codes in fields such as fluid mechanics, plasma physics and geophysical flows. These fields have implications in contemporary hot-button issues such as ocean and atmospheric predictions of flows and fluctuations.

"It's very challenging and very interesting," said Temam. "What we do is small compared to what needs to be done, but it's good to do it."

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