Józef H. Przytycki
Encyclopedia
Józef Henryk Przytycki (ˌjuːsəf pʃəˈtɪski, ˈjuzɛf pʂɨˈtɨt͡ski; born October 1953 in Warsaw, Poland), is a mathematician
specializing in the fields of knot theory
and topology
.
In 1987, he and Pawel Traczyk published "Invariants of links of Conway type" (Kobe J. Math. 4, 115−139, 1987), which included a description of what is now called the HOMFLY(PT) polynomial
. Postal
delays prevented Przytycki and Traczyk from receiving full recognition alongside the other six discoverers.
A native of Poland
, Przytycki received a Master of Science degree in mathematics from Warsaw University in 1977 and, after emigrating to the United States
, a Ph.D.
in mathematics from Columbia University
, where his advisor was Joan Birman
. He is currently a professor of mathematics
at George Washington University
in Washington, DC. He has had several students who obtained doctorate degrees under his supervision. He has authored and co-authored many mathematical publications, including more than 100 research papers, 10 conference proceedings and 2 books.
Every semester since 1995, Józef Przytycki organizes the conference Knots in Washington
. He also co-organized several international Knot Theory conferences in Europe, for example Knots in Poland (1995, 2003 and 2010), Knots in Hellas (1998), and the Advanced School and Conference on Knot Theory and its Applications to Physics and Biology,
Trieste, Italy (2009).
Józef Przytycki is married to computational biologist and mathematician Teresa Przytycka (born 1958). Their elder son Tomasz was born November 11, 1987; their younger son Pawel was born December 1, 1989.
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
specializing in the fields of knot theory
Knot theory
In topology, knot theory is the study of mathematical knots. While inspired by knots which appear in daily life in shoelaces and rope, a mathematician's knot differs in that the ends are joined together so that it cannot be undone. In precise mathematical language, a knot is an embedding of a...
and topology
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
.
In 1987, he and Pawel Traczyk published "Invariants of links of Conway type" (Kobe J. Math. 4, 115−139, 1987), which included a description of what is now called the HOMFLY(PT) polynomial
HOMFLY polynomial
In the mathematical field of knot theory, the HOMFLY polynomial, sometimes called the HOMFLY-PT polynomial or the generalized Jones polynomial, is a 2-variable knot polynomial, i.e. a knot invariant in the form of a polynomial of variables m and l....
. Postal
Postal
Postal may refer to:* Mail, the postal service* The Postal Service, a band* "Going postal", the U.S. slang phrase meaning a killing spree* Going Postal, a 2004 Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett...
delays prevented Przytycki and Traczyk from receiving full recognition alongside the other six discoverers.
A native of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Przytycki received a Master of Science degree in mathematics from Warsaw University in 1977 and, after emigrating to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in mathematics from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where his advisor was Joan Birman
Joan Birman
Joan Sylvia Lyttle Birman is an American mathematician, specializing in braid theory and knot theory. Her book Braids, Links, and Mapping Class Groups has become a standard introduction, with many of today's researchers having learned the subject through it...
. He is currently a professor of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in Washington, DC. He has had several students who obtained doctorate degrees under his supervision. He has authored and co-authored many mathematical publications, including more than 100 research papers, 10 conference proceedings and 2 books.
Every semester since 1995, Józef Przytycki organizes the conference Knots in Washington
Knots in Washington
Knots in Washington is an international conference on knot theory and its ramifications held once or twice per year since 1995. The main organizers are Józef Przytycki and , both at George Washington University...
. He also co-organized several international Knot Theory conferences in Europe, for example Knots in Poland (1995, 2003 and 2010), Knots in Hellas (1998), and the Advanced School and Conference on Knot Theory and its Applications to Physics and Biology,
Trieste, Italy (2009).
Józef Przytycki is married to computational biologist and mathematician Teresa Przytycka (born 1958). Their elder son Tomasz was born November 11, 1987; their younger son Pawel was born December 1, 1989.