Born in 1947 in Vallejo, California, Robert Edward (Rufus) Bowen was awarded the AB with prizes for scholarship by the University of California at Berkeley in 1967. His doctorate in Mathematics was completed in Berkeley in 1970 under the direction of Stephen Smale. In that year he was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Mathematics at Berkeley. He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 1977.
Bowen worked in mathematical dynamics systems theory. His pioneering studies of topological entropy, symbolic dynamics, Markov partitions, and invariant measures are of lasting importance; much of today's research is inspired by his ideas.
The Bowen Lectures are supported by anonymous donors, one of whom was an undergraduate student of Rufus Bowen.
The 2025 Bowen Lectures will be delivered by Donald Saari, University of California, Irvine
Thursday, October 16, 4:10-5 PM Evans Hall 60
Lecture Title: The mathematics of decision and voting theory
Abstract:
Decisions, whether to select a new colleague or a scientific approach, are central for all areas, which means that finding a reliable method is critical. But because of hidden mathematical flaws, no matter what is your preferred voting or decision method, there are times where it selected a non-optimal alternative. Motivated by mathematics of dynamical systems, representation theory, etc., we are learning that the problem is more serious than previously believed. Yet, as it will be described, a reliable, easy to use method does exist.
Past Bowen Lecturers
2025 Donald Saari
2021-22 Richard Kenyon
2020-21 Efim Zelmanov
2018-19 James McKernan and Christopher Hacon
2017-18 Avi Wigderson
2016-17 Michael Harris
2015-16 Jacob Lurie
2014-15 Dusa McDuff
2013-14 Jeff Cheeger
2012-13 Benedict Gross
2011-12 Cédric Villani
2010-11 Michael Hopkins
2009-10 Christophe Soulé
2008-09 Hillel Furstenberg
2007-08 Michael Freedman
2006-07 Edward Witten
2005-06 John Conway
2004-05 Curt McMullen
2003-04 Richard Hamilton
2002-03 Roger Penrose
2001-02 Yakov G. Sinai
2000-01 Don Zagier
1999-00 Cliff Taubes
1998-99 Barry Mazur
1997-98 Simon Donaldson
1996-97 Vladimir Arnold
1995-96 Peter Sarnak
1994-95 Shing-Tung Yau
1993-94 Alain Connes
1992-93 Israel M. Gelfand
1991-92 Philip Holmes
1990-91 John Milnor
1989-90 Yuri Manin
1988-89 David Ruelle
1987-88 Blaine Lawson
1986-87 Nancy Kopell
1985-86 William Parry
1984-85 John Franks
1983-84 Michael Atiyah
1982-83 Anatol Katok
1981-82 Dennis Sullivan