The Clifford Lectures

Clifford Lectures March 2013

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Alfred Hoblitzelle Clifford

Alfred Hoblitzelle Clifford was an analyst by training but soon became interested in ordered semigroups and eventually in semigroups in general. He is best known for his work on this subject, which is among the most penetrating and insightful. His book, The Algebraic Theory of Semigroups, vol. 1 (1961), vol. 2 (1967), with G.B. Preston, became the first and foremost text on the subject in the West.

Alfred Clifford joined Tulane University in 1955 as head of the Mathematics Department at Newcomb College until its merger with the Arts and Sciences Mathematics Department. In the early 1980's Alfred Clifford made a generous donation to the Department, the income from which has been used to organize an annual Lecture series. Two years after his death in 1992 a special conference on semigroups was held in his memory.

The Lectures

Since 1984 the Mathematics Department at Tulane University has held the annual Clifford Lectures, a week-long series of talks by a distinguished mathematician. A mini-conference is held in conjunction with each of the Clifford Lecture series. A unique feature of the conference is that the other invited speakers are selected by the Clifford Lecturer. Past Clifford Lecturers have included Field Medalists, members of the National Academy of Sciences and many other distinguished scientists. The complete list is below.

The Lecturers

*Fields Medal winners. Read more about the Fields Medal »