Hale Trotter, an emeritus professor of mathematics, died Jan. 17, 2022. He was 91.
5 thoughts on “Hale Trotter”
Peter Wayner
Hale Trotter was my senior thesis advisor and he was kind, careful and connected to my research. We explored a strange corner of algebra and mechanisms. It was a great journey. I’m so sorry to hear he’s gone, but at 91 he had a wonderful career full of as much mathematical adventure as a man can squeeze from the world.
Andrew Mayer
I am so sad to hear of Hale’s passing — I was quite fond of him. He was my PhD thesis advisor and helped me through some very difficult times. He was a truly good man and a brilliant mathematician, and a fantastic advisor and teacher. He was also very funny. May his memory be for a blessing.
Trotter, who taught me linear algebra when I was an undergraduate at Princeton, was a genial source of information and encouragement in subsequent years, as I pursued my amateur interest in knot theory. Let us all celebrate his long and happy life.
Winston Ou
Professor Trotter taught us Galois Theory (out of Artin’s notes) so many years ago (and was the undergraduate advisor for all of us). He was such a gentle, kind man. I’m sorry to hear of his passing.
Winston Ou
I seem to recall (from *A Beautiful Mind* – the book, not the movie) it was Professor Trotter getting John Nash a computer account that put Nash on the path to recovery. Some Googling yields the quote, p. 384, from Nash himself: “He has said: ‘Ultimately computers could be a good sort of occupational therapy (as perhaps I was benefited in an OT [occupational therapy] fashion by [Hale] Trotter’s help in letting me get familiar with computer use.)” – an example of the impact of his kindness.
Hale Trotter was my senior thesis advisor and he was kind, careful and connected to my research. We explored a strange corner of algebra and mechanisms. It was a great journey. I’m so sorry to hear he’s gone, but at 91 he had a wonderful career full of as much mathematical adventure as a man can squeeze from the world.
I am so sad to hear of Hale’s passing — I was quite fond of him. He was my PhD thesis advisor and helped me through some very difficult times. He was a truly good man and a brilliant mathematician, and a fantastic advisor and teacher. He was also very funny. May his memory be for a blessing.
Trotter, who taught me linear algebra when I was an undergraduate at Princeton, was a genial source of information and encouragement in subsequent years, as I pursued my amateur interest in knot theory. Let us all celebrate his long and happy life.
Professor Trotter taught us Galois Theory (out of Artin’s notes) so many years ago (and was the undergraduate advisor for all of us). He was such a gentle, kind man. I’m sorry to hear of his passing.
I seem to recall (from *A Beautiful Mind* – the book, not the movie) it was Professor Trotter getting John Nash a computer account that put Nash on the path to recovery. Some Googling yields the quote, p. 384, from Nash himself: “He has said: ‘Ultimately computers could be a good sort of occupational therapy (as perhaps I was benefited in an OT [occupational therapy] fashion by [Hale] Trotter’s help in letting me get familiar with computer use.)” – an example of the impact of his kindness.