Serge Lang is Dead

News via Locana, which gives a great deal of coverage to the many controversies in which Lang embroiled himself in his latter years. Why didn't I hear of this earlier? One would have thought he'd at least have merited a few lines in the New York Times or something: his involvement in Bourbaki aside, it's pretty much impossible to acquire a mathematical education without encountering his books.

Comments

[M.H.K.]

I suspect that I am the only person who had professor Lang wait on the telephone. Early in the 90s our Departmental secretary left me a message that said Professor Lang wanted me to call him. We never met and I was excited that he knew me to call me! At that time making a long distance call from my office was a little hassle. I went to the secretary next door and told her that I wanted make a long distance call and gave her the number. Not realizing that she was going to make the call right then, I came back to my office. A little after she called me to tell me that Professor Lang was on the phone. I was stunned that I had him waiting on the phone. I think he was a little annoyed with me but he changed right away and asked me for a reprint of an article.

Later I received an e-mail from one of his student stating that Professor Lang received the reprint I sent him and he wanted me to send him other reprints as well. Professor Lang had, I think, the student e-mail me again telling me that he meant preprints as well as reprints. I will always remember and appreciative of his interest on my work.