The Mathematical Legacy of Harish-Chandra

Book excerpt: Harish-Chandra was a mathematician of great power, vision, and remarkable ingenuity. His profound contributions to the representation theory of Lie groups, harmonic analysis, and related areas left researchers a rich legacy that continues today. This book presents the proceedings of an AMS Special Session entitled, "Representation Theory and Noncommutative Harmonic Analysis: A Special Session Honoring the Memory of Harish-Chandra", which marked 75 years since his birth and 15 years since his untimely death at age 60. Contributions to the volume were written by an outstanding group of internationally known mathematicians. Included are expository and historical surveys and original research papers. The book also includes talks given at the IAS Memorial Service in 1983 by colleagues who knew Harish-Chandra well. Also reprinted are two articles entitled, "Some Recollections of Harish-Chandra", by A. Borel, and "Harish-Chandra's c-Function: A Mathematical Jewel", by S. Helgason. In addition, an expository paper, "An Elementary Introduction to Harish-Chandra's Work", gives an overview of some of his most basic mathematical ideas with references for further study. This volume offers a comprehensive retrospective of Harish-Chandra's professional life and work. Personal recollections give the book particular significance. Readers should have an advanced-level background in the representation theory of Lie groups and harmonic analysis.