Established the basis for algebraic K-theories in his pioneering research on cohomology of finite groups Contributed to the development of research in Korea and the fostering scholars for modern mathematics via teaching and exchanges
(Late) Rim Dock Sang
Former professor at Univ. of Pennsylvania (1928~1982)
- Academic background
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1946∼1954
B.S., Dept. of Mathematics, Seoul National Univ.
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1955∼1957
Sc.D., Graduate School, Indiana Univ. (algebraic geometry)
- Professional career
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1957∼1960
Post-doc research fellow, assistant professor at Columbia Univ.
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1960∼1965
Assistant professor at Brandeis Univ.
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1965∼1982
Professor, Head of Dept. of Mathematics, Univ. of Pennsylvania
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1972~1975
HQ Councilor, Korean Scientists and Engineers Association
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1978~1981
Scholarship Committee member, Korean Scientists and Engineers Association
Professor Dock Sang Rim contributed to the development of algebraic geometry via group cohomology and deformation theory research as a Korean mathematician in the USA. He also made efforts to promote exchange among scholars and to develop the Korean science and technology communities and to contribute to regional Korean society through his activities for the Association of Korean Scientists and Technologists in USA and the Association of Korean Americans in Philadelphia.
Global pioneering research on cohomology of finite groups
He studied mathematics at Seoul National Univ. and went to the USA as a researcher. He entered Seoul National Univ. in 1946 and graduated in 1954, after which he taught mathematics at Ewha Girls' High School for a short period. He began a Ph.D. program at Indiana University in 1955 where he would acquire a Ph.D. degree with the thesis on the theory of cohomology of finite groups in 1957. His advisor was the distinguished Professor George Whaples and the thesis title was “An Axiomatic Approach to Cohomology Theory of Finite Groups.”
He began his career as professor at two smaller universities before moving to the Univ. of Pennsylvania in 1965 as a professor. He started to work as post-doc research fellow and assistant professor at Columbia Univ. in 1957 at which time he published a remarkable study of achievements in algebraic geometry. Professor Oscar Goldman, then head of Dept. of Mathematics at Brandeis Univ. noticed his outstanding research and invited him to teach there in 1960. Later, Professor Goldman invited Professor Rim to join the Dept. of Mathematics, Univ. of Pennsylvania where he himself had then moved. Once established at the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Professor Rim held the positions of head of the Dept. of Mathematics for the undergraduate and the graduate school from 1974 to 1978. Recognized globally for his research accomplishments, Professor Rim was then appointed as the editor of The American Mathematical Society Transactionsand a member of the editing committee of Annals of Algebra, both elective offices.
Professor Rim’s major achievements include, firstly, establishing a classification theory for modules defined on a finite group. In 1959, he published a paper presenting a neat solution to the problem of homological algebra raised by Cartan-Eilenberg. The core theorem of the paper is proving that there is necessity and sufficiency relation between the condition among the modules composed on the basis of an integral group ring Z (pi) where we suppose pi is a finite group, especially in the case that the projective dimension is finite and the condition for that the cohomology of the module is evident. That study provided the basis for a new research field wherein "algebraic K-theories" are established and it made him one of the early pioneers in cohomology theory.
Contributed to the development of algebraic geometry by research on deformation theory
Secondly, he used an original axiomatic approach and developed deformation theory, an area of algebraic geometry. His research on the deformation theory, a field begun by Masatake Kuranishi, was published as a seminar note of SGA 7 I (Groupes de Monodromie en Geometrie Algebrique) in 1972. Participants in that academic series included distinguished scholars such as Alexander Grothendiek (1966 Fields Medal Award winner) and the result was published by Springer-Verlag and then broadly quoted.
Contributed to the development of Korean modern mathematics by research collaboration and the fostering of junior scholars
In addition to his research, Professor Rim also participated in organizing Korean scientists and technologists in America as well as in activities within the Korean community. He served as founding HQ Councilor (1972-1975) and as founding Scholarship Committee member (1978-1981) of the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association which had been founded in 1971. He also served the regional Korean American community, working as the 4th president of the Korean Community in Philadelphia and then as Chairman of the Establishment Committee for the Seo Jae-Pil Monument commemorating a Korean patriot.
In addition, he contributed to fostering scholars in mathematics in Korea. Pursuant to the AID Loan Plan, Seoul National Univ. invited Korean mathematicians from America to visit for 5 years from 1975 and Professor Lim was included in the program and he delivered lectures on algebraic geometry from 1976 to 1977, thereby assisting the Korean modern mathematics to develop further.
