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Arnold Pizer, Professor Emeritus

Department of Mathematics
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627

Office: Hylan 802
Phone: (585) 766-8812
Fax: (585) 273-4655
E-mail: apizer@math.rochester.edu

Biographical Sketch

Prof. Pizer received his B.A. in Mathematics (1967) from Yale University, and his Ph.D. in Mathematics (1971), also from Yale. His thesis advisor was T. Tamagawa. He was an Acting Assistant Professor at UCLA (1971-73) and an Assistant Professor at Brandeis (1973-76) before joining the University as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics in 1976. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1978 and to Professor in 1989. In 2007 he became Professor Emeritus.

Research

Prof. Pizer's research interests are in the field of Number Theory. Prof. Pizer is particularly interested in the study of the arithmetic of quaternion algebras and its connections to modular forms, Brandt matrices, Hecke operators, and Ramanujan graphs. Much of his work has been related to the "Basis Problem" which involves constructing explicit bases for spaces modular forms from theta series attached to quaternion algebras and determining the action of Hecke operators on such bases. Currently he is interested in developing a "ray class" ideal theory for orders in quaternion algebras in analogy with ray class" theory in number fields and the application of such a theory to Ramanujan graphs.

Prof. Pizer is also has a pedagogical interest in using the internet for mathematics education. He is a codeveloper, together with Prof. Gage, of the homework delivery system WeBWorK.

Photos

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