Abbas Bahri 

Abbas Bahri, professor of mathematics at Rutgers University, and resident of the Princeton area since 1990, passed away on January 10, 2016 after a long illness.

Abbas Bahri was born to Jalila and Mohamed El Hedi Bahri on January 1, 1955. He received his secondary education in Tunisia, and, in 1974, was the first Tunisian to enter the École Normale Superieure de la rue d’Ulm in Paris. While a research assistant at the C.N.R.S. from 1979 to 1981, he obtained his Agrégation de Mathématiques and subsequently received his Doctorat d’Etat at Université Pierre et Marie Curie. He began his professional endeavors as L.E. Dickson Instructor at the University of Chicago and then held positions as professor at the École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, and E.N.I.T., Tunis. Beginning in 1988, he held the position of professor at Rutgers University, where he supervised a number of PhD students. As director of the center for nonlinear analysis, he organized many seminars and research activities. He also gave numerous lectures as an invited speaker at conferences and universities around the world.

Abbas Bahri’s research focused on nonlinear analysis and variational problems with lack of compactness, coming from several areas of mathematics: his works deal with partial differential equations, critical points theories, homology computations, Hamiltonian systems, and Riemaniann and contact geometry.

Throughout his career, he was an innovative and prolific researcher, unafraid to tackle exceptionally difficult problems and often obtaining spectacular results. In the early 1980s, Abbas Bahri introduced the new theory of the “critical points at infinity” which represents a milestone in the calculus of variations, and which enabled him to also advance in other areas of research. In 1989, he was awarded the Langevin Prize in mathematics, and the Fermat Prize, in particular for his work on the 3-body problem.

With his new techniques, he was able to investigate and reveal deep phenomena, such as the effect of the topology in some problems with critical nonlinearity, the existence of solutions to the Yamabe problem having high Morse index, and the behavior of periodic orbits of Hamiltonian and contact vector-fields. Over the past few years, he used new topological arguments in order to study the Contact form Homology, in the variational framework related to the Weinstein conjecture: in particular, since the problem has a natural circle action, he made a crucial step by understanding and describing the interactions “point to circle” between different kinds of critical points.

In addition to his academic achievements, Abbas Bahri was a proponent of progress, democracy, and social justice in the world. He particularly believed in, and fought for the democratization of his country of origin, where free rational thinking would prevail, and was confident in the intellectual potential of the Tunisian people. Since 1990, he dedicated much of his free time to Tunisia’s scientific advancement, promoting international cultural exchanges, and educating many researchers in his field. He taught in several parts of Tunisia with purely altruistic intent. In recognition of all his efforts, an international mathematical conference was organized on the occasion of his 60th birthday in Hammamet, Tunisia (March 2015).

Besides being a gifted mathematician with an exceptional sense of originality and depth, Abbas Bahri was also interested in — among other things — history, art, music, literature, philosophy, and politics. He believed in the contribution of the Arab and Muslim culture to the development of human knowledge and intellect, and as a source of inspiration for progress. He also viewed this contribution as a way to transcend cultural differences.

Abbas Bahri valued diversity and nurtured friendships from all over the world. He lived as a humble man, devoted to his family and research. He is survived by his wife Diana and his four children Thouraya, Kahena, Salima, and Mohamed El Hedi. His death is mourned by many who have been inspired by his contagious enthusiasm for life and optimism for the future. He will continue to be a role model for generations to come.

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Adam Wingfield Roth 

On December 16, 2015, Adam Wingfield Roth, 57, passed away peacefully after a brief battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family and friends at his parents Manhattan home. Born May 16, 1958 in Philadelphia, Pa., Adam was raised in Princeton and graduated from Princeton High School in 1976. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he formed the Comedy Workshop with Steven Wright and Denis Leary, continuing to collaborate with Leary for the rest of his life. As a professional composer and guitarist, Adam was a quintessential figure in the New York City rock scene for over 30 years, performing with, among many others, the Del Fuegos, the Jim Carroll Band, Garland Jeffreys, Merseybeat legend Billy J. Kramer, and the band he founded, the Liza Colby Sound. Adam mentored at-risk youths battling addiction with the non-profit organization Road Recovery. He is survived by his son Charlie Ringo Roth, partner Marta Maletz, parents Caroline Roth and cartoonist Arnold Roth, and brother Charles Roth. Known for his easygoing wit, impeccable style, and charisma, Adam was a true artist in every way. A musician, showman, loving friend, brother, and son, Adam’s most rewarding role was being a devoted dad to his young son. He will be terribly missed. A memorial gathering will be announced at a later date.