Frank Morgan

$FmWebpage14$ Atwell Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus
Editor-in-Chief, Notices AMS, 2016–2018.

Blogs: Personal blog | Huffington Post blog

Areas of Interest

Frank Morgan works in minimal surfaces and studies the behavior and structure of minimizers in various dimensions and settings.

Books

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Geometric Measure Theory: a Beginner’s Guide (5th ed. 2016)
Calculus Lite 2001, republished as Calculus 2012; Max-Min video on YouTube.
Riemannian Geometry: a Beginner’s Guide 1998
The Math Chat Book 2000, based on his live, call-in Math Chat TV show and Math Chat column
Real Analysis 2005 and Real Analysis and Applications 2006

More Publications »

Degrees

SB, MIT, 1974
MA, Princeton University, 1976 (NSF Fellow)
PhD, Princeton University, 1977 (NSF Fellow)
ScD (honorary), Cedar Crest College, 1995

Area: geometry, minimal surfaces, geometric measure theory, calculus of variations.

Positions and Awards

MIT, 1977-1987
- C.L.E. Moore Instructor, 1977-79
- Chairman, Undergraduate Mathematics Office, 1979-82
- Everett Moore Baker Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching, 1982
- Cecil and Ida Green Career Development Chair, 1985-86
Williams College, 1987-
- Department Chair, 1988-94, 2015-16
- Dennis Meenan ’54 Third Century Professor of Mathematics, 1997-2003
- Webster Atwell ’21 Professor of Mathematics, 2003-2016
- Webster Atwell ’21 Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus, 2016-
National Science Foundation research grants, 1977-2006, 2008-2012
Rice, Visiting Assistant Professor, 1982-83
Stanford, Visiting Associate Professor, 1986-87
NSF Math Advisory Committee, 1987-90
Institute for Advanced Study, 1990-91
First national MAA Haimo Distinguished Teaching Award, 1992
University of Massachusetts, Adjunct Professor, 1992-
Council, AMS, 1994-97
Queens College, CUNY, Visiting Professor, fall 1994
Distinguished Alumnus Award, William Allen High School, 1995
Princeton, 250-Anniversary Visiting Professorship for Distinguished Teaching, 1997-98
Second Vice-President, Math. Assn. America, 2000-2002
Vice-President, Amer. Math. Soc., 2009-2012
Berkshire Community College, Visiting Professor and Special Assistant to the President, Fall, 2014
Editor-in-Chief, Notices AMS, 2016-2018.
Baylor, Visting Professor, fall 2018.

Recent talks

Soap Bubbles and Mathematics : Popular talk
Abstract: Soap bubbles continue to confound and amaze mathematicians. Some recent mathematical breakthroughs are due to students. The presentation includes a little guessing contest with demonstrations, explanations, and prizes. No prerequisites. Friends and families welcome. Video.

Baserunner’s Optimal Path : Popular talk
Abstract: What is the fastest path around the bases in baseball? The answer is something between the baseball diamond and a circle.Optimal Pentagonal Tilings : Colloquium talk
Abstract: Although regular hexagons, squares, and equilateral triangles are trivially perimeter-minimizing unit-area planar tilings, there is no tiling by regular pentagons. We discuss recently proven perimeter-minimizing tilings by convex pentagons and efforts to remove the presumably unnecessary convexity hypothesis.

Optimal Double Bubbles in Rⁿ and Other Spaces : Colloquium talk
Abstract: The classical isoperimetric theorem (Schwarz, 1884) says that a single round soap bubble in R³ provides the most efficient, least-area way to enclose a given volume of air. The Double Bubble Theorem (Hutchings, Morgan, Ritore, Ros, Annals of Math 2002) says that the familiar double soap bubble provides the most efficient way to enclose and separate two given volumes in R³. More recently there have been partial extensions from R³ to the sphere S³, hyperbolic space H³, the torus T³, and higher dimensions, including some work by undergraduates. Many open questions remain. No specific prerequisites; undergraduate majors welcome.

Manifolds with Density : Colloquium/research seminar talk
Abstract: Since their appearance in Perelman’s proof of the Poincaré Conjecture, densities have played a major role in geometry and the isoperimetric problem. We discuss open questions and recent results, some by undergraduates. Video.

More Talks »

Resources & Projects

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Tenure-track position in Statistics

The Williams College Department of Mathematics and Statistics invites applications for a new tenure-track position in Statistics, beginning fall 2019, at the rank of assistant professor. A more senior appointment is also possible for a qualified candidate at a later stage in their career. The candidate should have a Ph.D. in Statistics or a closely related field by the time of appointment. We are seeking candidates who show evidence and/or promise of excellence in teaching and a strong research program that can engage undergraduate students. The candidate will become the seventh tenure-track statistician in the department, joining a vibrant and innovative group of statisticians with an established statistics major. Click here for more information on the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Candidates may apply here by uploading a cover letter addressed to Professor Richard De Veaux, a curriculum vitae, a teaching statement, a description of research plans, and three letters of recommendation on teaching and research. The Department is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community. In your application materials, we also ask you to address how your teaching, scholarship, mentorship and/or community service might support Williams’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Expectations: The teaching load is two courses per 12-week semester and a winter term course every other January. The candidate will be expected to teach introductory statistics, core courses for the statistics major, and elective courses in their areas of interest. The successful candidate will establish an independent research program that results in scholarly publications. Williams College provides broad support for start-up funds, funding for student research assistants, faculty professional development funds, and a shared computer cluster for parallel computation.

Review of applications will begin on or after October 1st and will continue until the position is filled. All offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background check. Further information is available here.

Williams College is a coeducational liberal arts institution located in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. The college has built its reputation on outstanding teaching and scholarship and on the academic excellence of its approximately 2,000 students. Please visit the Williams College website. Beyond meeting fully its legal obligations for non-discrimination, Williams College is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn, and thrive.

Two-year visiting positions in Mathematics

The Williams College Department of Mathematics and Statistics invites applications for two two-year visiting positions in mathematics, to begin fall 2019. Candidates should have earned a Ph.D. in mathematics, applied mathematics, or a related field by summer, 2019. We will consider candidates with any area of mathematical expertise.

Visiting Assistant Professors are asked to teach four courses per year on our 12-week semester schedule, advise several undergraduate student colloquia (our capstone experience for seniors), and make small contributions to service activities in the department. This set of professional duties provides a window into the experience of being a mathematician in a liberal arts setting.

Our department offers a vibrant undergraduate program with majors in mathematics (including an applied mathematics emphasis) and in statistics. For more information, see our website. The multidisciplinary environment is a rich and collegial setting for student education and faculty research. Williams College provides: the opportunity to apply for student research assistant support; a standard, annual allocation of funds to support travel and research; and a shared computer cluster for parallel computation. Visiting Assistant Professors are also eligible to participate in the college’s comprehensive First3 professional development program.

Approximately one hour from the Albany, NY airport, Williams College is located in Williamstown, a thriving destination proximate to: three major art museums; theater, music, and dance festivals; community supported agriculture farms; a highly-rated public school system; and many other resources. The Williams undergraduate student body has 40% U.S. minority enrollment and nearly 10% international enrollment. Reflecting the institution’s values, our department is diverse and inclusive, with 50% of our faculty being women, people of color, and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community. We encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups with respect to gender, race and ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability status, socioeconomic background, and other axes of diversity.

Applications should be submitted via http://www.mathjobs.org. Your application should include the following components.

1) Please provide a cover letter. This letter might describe your interest in Williams and in the liberal arts, and provide a brief summary of your professional experience and future goals. We ask you to address how your teaching, scholarship, mentorship and/or community service might support Williams’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

2) Please provide a current curriculum vitae.

3) Please provide a teaching statement. Ideally, this statement should be 2 - 3 pages long, and it might address your teaching philosophy, teaching experience, and any other reflections or relevant information you would like to share. 4) Please provide a brief research statement. Ideally, it should help our faculty, who come from a wide range of mathematical disciplines, understand the nature of your work and think about how to support you during your post-Ph.D. years.

5) Please have at least three recommenders submit letters of recommendation. If possible, at least one of these letters should comment on your experience as a teaching assistant or on any other instructional capacities in which you have served.

We also ask applicants to fill out this brief EEOC demographic survey. While completing this form is voluntary, we hope you will fill it out. Responses will be accessible only by administrators and EEO officers.

If you have questions about this position, contact search committee chair Chad Topaz ([email protected]). Review of applications will begin on or after November 1 and will continue until the positions are filled. All offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background check. Further information is available here.

Frank Morgan

Areas of Interest

Books

Degrees

Positions and Awards

Recent talks

Resources & Projects

Special

Frank Morgan

Tenure-track position in Statistics

Two-year visiting positions in Mathematics

AMS Exemplary Department Award