Ali Nesin

About

Mathematician who has established himself in both Turkey and America. He founded the Nesin Mathematics Village near Izmir which is dedicated entirely to the teaching and learning of mathematics on a non-profit basis. He wrote the book, The Model Theory of Groups, which attempted to package mathematics in a less dry, more enjoyable way. In 2018 he was awarded the Leelavati Award by the International Congress of Mathematicians. 

Before Fame

After primary and secondary school in Istanbul, he went to Switzerland for high school. He then went on to attend Paris Diderot University where he studied mathematics from 1977-81. He got his doctorate in mathematics, logic, and algebra from Yale University. He worked as an assistant professor at the Berkley campus of the University of California. 

Trivia

When his father died, he returned to Turkey to manage the Nesin Foundation, founding the Nesin Publishing House in 2004. He is a founding member of the Turkish Human Rights Institution Foundation. He is the editor-in-chief of the journal, Mathematics World, published quarterly since 2003.

Family Life

He is the son of the humorist Aziz Nesin and story writer Meral Çelen. He is married to Özlem Beyarslan and they have 4 children. His siblings are Ahmet Nesin, Oya Nesin, and Ateş Nesin.

Associated With

He was an assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame and an associate professor and then a full professor at the University of California, Irvine.