The American James Harris Simons, better known by his nickname “Jim” Simons, died on May 10, at the age of 86, in New York, after an extraordinary life as a mathematician, investor and philanthropist.
Jim was an exceptional mathematician. Few people, like him, have obtained, in fifteen years, three major results in fields linked to differential geometry, the study of “smooth” objects. In his thesis, in 1962, he developed a new way of classifying geometries on manifolds (the equivalent, in larger dimensions, of our 2-dimensional surfaces) – for specialists, this is the classification holonomy groups of Riemann metrics. He then discovers, to the surprise of his peers, that from dimension 8, objects that everyone thought were smooth can present “accidents” (minimal sub-varieties of the sphere can have singular points). Finally, it introduces a new quantity, the Chern-Simons functional, which will have a considerable impact beyond mathematics, notably in different areas of physics.
After studying at MIT, Jim completed his thesis at the University of California at Berkeley. He then worked, from 1964 to 1968, in cryptography at the Institute for Defense Analyses, in Princeton (New Jersey). A public stance against the Vietnam War led to his dismissal from this institution, and he joined Stony Brook University in New York State. As head of the mathematics department, he managed to attract many young and brilliant geometers, and established fruitful contacts with theoretical physicists.
Computational methods
Convinced that the mathematical processing of large sets of data by computer constitutes a key to finance, Jim embarks on a new adventure. In 1982, he created the Renaissance Technologies investment fund, which caused a methodological breakthrough in this world through a systematic use of modeling and algorithms. Its flagship fund, Medallion, has been setting records since its inception. Thanks to this exceptional success based on the almost exclusive employment of scientists, Jim became a billionaire in about fifteen years.
In 1994, with his second wife, Marilyn, he created the Simons Foundation, today one of the largest private funders of fundamental research. This foundation provides support for a number of scientific projects, first around autism and mathematics, then in biology and physics, with, for example, the financing of an astronomical observatory. It has enabled the creation of several university institutes in risky frontier areas.
Then, in 2016, the Flatiron Institute was created in the heart of Manhattan, dedicated to the development of computational methods in different fields of science, such as astrophysics, quantum physics or neuroscience. Initially focused on the United States, the action of the Simons Foundation has expanded throughout the world by supporting international teams, particularly African ones. Convinced of the vital importance of quality teaching, Jim and Marilyn Simons created Math for America in 2004, a foundation which supports high school science teachers in the New York region wishing to complete their training or develop innovative teaching methods.
Sense of self-deprecation
In France, in addition to funding research teams, their help was decisive for the Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies (IHES) in Bures-sur-Yvette (Essonne), by contributing to its own funds and helping with research. of patrons on an international scale through the Friends of IHES. The support they have given to IHES since 1998 amounts to millions of euros.
Jim Simons’ life was also marked by terrible trials. Father of five children, he lost two of his sons in tragic accidents. It was to extend the humanitarian commitment of one of them, Nick, that Jim and Marilyn created the Nick Simons Institute in Nepal, which works in collaboration with the local government to develop public health infrastructure. Forty-five hospitals and clinics have been funded to date.
We cannot talk about Jim without mentioning his rare sense of humor and self-deprecation. Passionate about the adventure of scientific discovery, he paid extreme attention to people. Interacting with him was always an intellectually enriching pleasure. Listening, he granted total autonomy to the scientists in whom he had placed his trust to guide the institutions created with his wife Marilyn. A visionary creator who changed the world around him and beyond.