In Memoriam

ICTP was saddened to learn of the passing of mathematician Lê Dũng Tráng, former head of the Centre's Mathematics section.

According to his close collaborator, French mathematician Professor Bernard Teissier of Paris Diderot University, Lê was emeritus professor at the University of Aix-Marseille, France. He was educated at Lycée Voltaire and Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Paris and Paris University, and was editor of the International Journal of Mathematics, Journal of Singularities and Acta Mathematica Vietnamica. He was awarded the Prix d’Aumale by the French Academy of Sciences in 1990, and elected to the World Academy of Sciences in 1993.

Lê also worked energetically for the development of Vietnamese mathematics and in particular promoted the invitation to Vietnam of foreign mathematicians. He made major contributions to the study of the topology of singular complex analytic spaces and mappings. His main research was concerned with singularity theory in the complex domain (Milnor fibrations, perverse sheaves).

ICTP has received tributes for Professor Tráng from former colleagues and students; several are shared below.

T.R. Ramadas, former head of ICTP's Mathematics section:

Lê joined ICTP as head of the Mathematics section at around the same time that I joined as a staff member in Mathematics. He cut a dapper figure with his well-tailored suits and hats, and managed the section quite effectively and with a light hand -- something that I did not fully appreciate until I succeeded him some years later.

Lê used to regale us with stories of his early days in Paris and Grothendieck's informal ways with the CNRS bureaucracy. He arranged for many illustrious mathematicians to visit ICTP, of whom Vladimir Arnold made the strongest impression on me. Lê's good friend Bernard Teissier was a frequent visitor and I enjoyed his company very much. The schools on Hodge theory and related topics that Lê organised were of a very high level -- I wish I had made better use of them.

One of Lê's best known works was with C.P. Ramanujam, who was a legendarily broad mathematician from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Bombay. CPR (as he was known to everyone) had passed on before my time at TIFR, but I heard about this joint work during my graduate student days, long before I met Lê. It is my impression that this collaboration, as well as his Vietnamese background, gave Lê some insight into the South Asian psyche.

Jaiyu Li, former ICTP colleague:

I am very sad learning that Professor Lê passed away.

Professor Lê was a great mathematician the world has ever known for his significant contributions in singularity theory.

I first met Professor Lê at ICTP, when he was the head of the mathematics group. Devoted to his work, he went to many developing countries to organize schools and conferences. He once organized a summer school in Libya in 2007, and we spent one month there. More than 200 participants from all fields in mathematics joined the school. It was a big event; there he was not only an organizer, but also a lecturer. During those years, many post-doctorates from developing countries were lucky to have the chance studying in the mathematics group. Obviously, his efforts broadened the vision of the scholars.

He was my close friend. After I went back China, he visited me four times, we had wonderful conversations on how to study mathematics, how to guide students, and how to develop mathematics.

Even till now, I could not believe he had been really away from us. When I take a walk after dinner,  I am always reminded of his ceaseless work in the mathematics field. He shines like a star upon us. He will be missed forever.

Roland Rabanal, a former postdoc:

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Lê Dũng Tráng on November 19, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to all who knew him. During my time in Trieste, I had the honor of being his postdoctoral student and benefited greatly from his guidance.

I also fondly remember his visit to my university in 2012, when he delivered the Cátedra José Tola Pasquel, offering both a course and a plenary lecture that inspired many of us. His significant contributions and inspiration will be remembered by students and colleagues alike, and his legacy will continue to enrich the mathematical community. May his memory bring comfort during this difficult time.