Jacob Palis: ‘the boy who carried water in a sieve’

A central figure in Brazilian and international mathematics, Jacob Palis was honored on Tuesday (30) at the 35th Brazilian Mathematics Colloquium. IMPA’s director-general, Marcelo Viana, gave a special lecture on the mathematician’s work in the area of Dynamical Systems and a round table moved the audience and brought the scientist’s legacy closer to the new generations. Prominent names from the scientific community took part in the tribute: Helena Nader, president of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), Artur Avila, Fields medalist and extraordinary researcher at IMPA, Marcelo Viana, director-general of the institute, Luiz Davidovich, professor emeritus at UFRJ and former president of ABC, Jerson Lima, former president of Faperj and Débora Foguel, a member of ABC’s board of directors.

The tribute was marked by emotional testimonies and reflections on Palis’ profound and lasting impact – not only in the scientific field, but also in building institutions and training people. “We owe him everything, not just in mathematics, but everything he did for science policy,” said Helena Nader, commenting on the guarantees Palis won for Brazilian science, including in the constitutional sphere.

“Jacob always impressed me not only because of his genius in mathematics and his commitment to science and Brazilian society, but also because of his deep appreciation of family. For him, family was not just a place of affection, but a true pillar of intellectual and emotional expression,” concluded the ABC president, who also recited Manoel de Barros’ poem “the boy who carried water in a sieve” in tribute to her friend.

” The mother noticed that the boy
I liked emptiness better than fullness.
He said that voids are bigger and even infinite.

Over time that boy
who was sceptical and weird,
because he liked to carry water in his sieve[…]

The mother looked at the boy with tenderness.
His mother said: My son, you’re going to be a poet!
You’ll carry water in your sieve all your life. […]

You’ll fill the gaps
with their perks,
and some people will love you for your nonsense!”

In addition to his scientific excellence, the participants highlighted the human and educational side of Jacob Palis. Davidovich recalled the constant encouragement that the mathematician offered to new generations. “A very peculiar characteristic of Jacob was the attention and motivation he gave to young people. That was impressive. I myself was very motivated by him. I consider him to have been my mentor.”

Davidovich also made a point of highlighting Palis’ vision for the future of science in Brazil. “He wanted Brazilian science to succeed here, but also to reach the world. This was clear throughout his career.” Closing his speech, the physicist quoted Guimarães Rosa: “People don’t die. They become enchanted. Jacob was one of those enchantments – for everything he left behind in institutions and in people.”

Artur Avila, affectionately described as Palis’ “academic grandson”, moved the audience when he reflected on the researcher’s profound influence on his education and on IMPA’s scientific culture. “He wasn’t there showing techniques, but pointing out the right directions and influencing how people were going to think. He imprinted a way of doing mathematics. IMPA has the vocation of attracting people from all over the world and this is thanks to Jacob’s influence. There’s no exaggeration on my part. It is with great appreciation, looking back, that I find Jacob’s influence and imprint.”

Marcelo Viana, on the other hand, preferred to remember the former director’s vision of leadership and courage in transforming the institute into a Social Organization. “Jacob was director for ten years and there are two aspects that he imprinted: one is IMPA’s international character, which became much more pronounced during this period. And the other was to advocate, at the end of the 1990s, that IMPA become a Social Organization. I confess that when he started this, I didn’t really understand why it was leaving the public sphere. I said: ‘They’ll be able to close down IMPA easily’. He said: ‘You can already do that. Just cut the budget’,” said Viana. “Many of the things that happened after IMPA became an OS wouldn’t have been possible before, like the OBMEP, for example.

Jerson Lima and Débora Foguel also shared their memories with the audience and highlighted the support the mathematician always gave to young people.

Marcelo Viana gives lecture in honor of Palis

Earlier in the day, Viana paid tribute to Jacob Palis with a lecture that packed the 35th CBM auditorium. IMPA’s director-general presented an overview of the researcher’s scientific career, ranging from his first discoveries to his most recent work. In his speech, he highlighted the intellectual vitality of Palis, whose productivity and enthusiasm for research have remained unwavering over the years.

The presentation motivated and encouraged everyone present, as the ITA professor (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica) Maisa de Oliveira Terra. “This lecture was very important to give us an understanding of how, over time, Jacob was a fruitful person with very significant contributions. It struck me that there are many important and recent contributions. So, even at an advanced age, he continued to be a fruitful researcher and connected to the needs and problems of the moment. This is very inspiring,” said the professor.

Karine de Almeida, who holds a doctorate from UFPE, said that it was “inspiring to know that he came back from the United States to start work from scratch in Brazil. It’s a legacy he leaves behind and the lecture was important to understand the contributions he made throughout his career and the legacy he left for others.”

The tribute to Palis is in recognition of the scientific and institutional contributions of the researcher, an international reference in the field of dynamic systems. President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences for three terms, Palis was one of the main driving forces behind the development of mathematics in Brazil. Throughout his career, he trained generations of researchers and was a key player in consolidating IMPA as a world center of excellence. Jacob Palis died in May at the age of 85.

Read also: ‘CBM is an example of what IMPA does best’, says Viana