Professor Đoàn Quỳnh, a distinguished and talented intellectual with extensive knowledge in mathematics and mathematics education, passed away at 2:25 PM on November 12th.
Professor Doan Quynh was a pure intellectual; no matter the moment you encountered him, you could always sense the character of an intellectual. He belonged to the very few exceptions to the "laws of the majority" where each person plays many roles (William Shakespeare) and a drop of blood is often tested: a little intellectual - a little farmer - a little … (Nguyen Duy).
Professor Doan Quynh was born on August 27, 1933, into an intellectual family. His character was shaped primarily by his family's traditions. His mother, Dang Thi Hieu (Ninette Jean), was a beautiful and intelligent student at Dong Khanh High School in Hue . Despite her beauty and virtuous character, Dang Thi Hieu passed away prematurely at the young age of 35.
Doan Quynh's father, Mr. Doan Nong, was a Western-educated intellectual. After the August Revolution, from 1946 to 1954, Mr. Doan Nong served as the principal of Lam Son School (Thanh Hoa). After peace was restored, Mr. Doan Nong moved to Hanoi to become the vice-principal of Chu Van An School, and then later worked as a French language lecturer at Hanoi Pedagogical University until his retirement in 1968.
Graduating from the first cohort of the Mathematics department at Hanoi Pedagogical University in 1956, Doan Quynh was retained as a lecturer and in 1961 was sent to pursue doctoral studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University (Soviet Union). He belonged to the first generation of intellectuals who received formal university education under the socialist education system. At Lomonosov, he conducted research under the guidance of Professor Rashevsky, head of the Department of Differential Geometry.
His most significant research achievement during this early period was published in 1968 in a 60-page paper entitled "Poincaré Polynomials of Compact Homogeneous Riemann Spaces with Irreducible Stationary Groups - Contributing to the Classification of Lie Groups," a work that was still cited many years later.
He and other mathematics lecturers of his age entered the most active phase of their careers when the war against America was raging fiercely, and the country faced difficulties in every respect. Despite all this, their academic activities remained serious and unwavering.
In 1967, amidst the bombings of war, the great mathematician of the 20th century, Grothendieck, made a trip to North Vietnam. During his 21 days in Vietnam, Grothendieck gave a series of lectures on fundamental issues of modern mathematics. Doan Quynh, one of the most talented mathematicians among the attendees, was chosen to be Grothendieck's interpreter.
The trip left a profound impression on Grothendieck and led to the theorem "The Existence of a Vietnamese Mathematics ." Grothendieck presented a proof of this theorem in an article (English version).
The Grothendieck event has gone down in the history of Vietnamese mathematics as a legendary chapter. His writings leave us with a beautiful picture, including the image of Doan Quynh, of the academic life of Vietnamese mathematicians during the most difficult years of the nation.
Professor Doan Quynh is a highly knowledgeable intellectual with expertise in many fields of mathematics and mathematics education. His strong foreign language skills (French, English, Russian) have enabled him to broaden his knowledge and achieve a high level of education. In lectures, through his books, and in discussions, Doan Quynh possesses a captivating presence stemming from his subtlety and profound understanding. He is a trusted source of guidance, advice, and discussion for many students and colleagues seeking clarification on mathematical or educational matters.
Professor Doan Quynh is a man of great work, practical experience, and dedication. He is among the few Vietnamese mathematicians with an exceptionally rich and enduring professional and specialized career, deeply involved in many aspects of all fields: research, training, and dissemination of mathematics, from mass education to gifted programs, from elementary to advanced levels.
He was the head of the Geometry Department of the Faculty of Mathematics, Hanoi Pedagogical University from 1967 until his retirement in 2003. Under his leadership, the Department's seminars were conducted seriously and regularly from the 1970s onwards, aiming to continuously improve the skills of its members and train young mathematicians. Topics such as global differential geometry, Grassman manifolds, closed geodesics, differential topology, hyperbolic complex geometry, algebraic geometry, and value distribution theory were presented in these seminars.
He was a serious and exemplary worker, meticulous and considerate in his personal life, and was respected and admired by everyone. He had a great and lasting influence on the field in many aspects, especially in his emphasis on academic excellence, rigor, and meticulousness in his studies.
Beginning in 1979 and continued for several years afterward, the Geometry - Topology - Algebra Seminar, a joint program between the Institute of Mathematics, the University of Hanoi, and the University of Education, chaired by him along with professors Nguyen Dinh Ngoc, Hoang Xuan Sinh, and Huynh Mui, promoted mathematical research among many individuals in the Vietnamese mathematical community. Many young PhDs who participated in the seminar during that period later became famous mathematicians in Vietnam, such as Ngo Viet Trung, Do Ngoc Diep, Nguyen Huu Viet Hung, Ha Huy Vui, and Nguyen Tu Cuong…
During the 1970s and 1980s, the selection of doctoral candidates for overseas study was entrusted to the Ministry of Higher Education and Vocational Training. Candidates in Mathematics had to take three exams: Calculus and Linear Algebra, a specialized subject, and an advanced subject. For many years, Professor Doan Quynh was assigned by the Ministry to be in charge of setting and grading the Linear Algebra exam.
Not only did he make significant contributions to nurturing and training mathematicians, but he also devoted much of his energy to training gifted students in mathematics. For many years, he participated in selecting and leading the Vietnamese student team to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Many students from that mathematics team have now become famous mathematicians such as Ngo Bao Chau, Dinh Tien Cuong, and Nguyen Tien Dung.
Professor Ngo Bao Chau still remembers that the first advanced mathematics textbook he received was from Professor Doan Quynh – a book that helped the international mathematics champion student quickly realize the many differences between advanced and elementary mathematics. Doan Quynh was also the editor of a series of textbooks and many reference books for training high school students specializing in mathematics.
For over forty years, he made exceptionally significant contributions to general education in mathematics. He served as Chairman of the Mathematics Council of the Ministry of Education and Training from 1992 to 2008, and in various periods, he was the Chief Editor of the High School Geometry textbook, the Chief Editor of the High School Mathematics curriculum, and the General Editor of the High School Mathematics textbook (advanced level). Until his final years, at over 90 years old, he remained Chairman of the Textbook Evaluation Council for Junior High School Mathematics (according to the new curriculum).
It was fortunate for Vietnamese education that such important tasks were entrusted by the education leaders of that time to a person of high culture, great character, dedication, and responsibility like him!
As a leading professor at a top university in the country, Doan Quynh left behind many meticulously compiled and highly regarded geometry textbooks. He was also the editor-in-chief of a mathematical dictionary and several popular mathematics books. For his immense contributions to education, he was awarded the title of Professor in 1984 and the title of People's Teacher, along with the Labor Medal.
Professor Doan Quynh was a quiet, strong-willed, yet humble man. His prestige and standing were built upon his contributions, talent, ethics, character, and work ethic. Professor Doan Quynh passed away at 2:25 PM on November 12th. His funeral will be held at the National Funeral Home, 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi, at 11:45 AM on November 13th. His last words to us were: "Please send my regards to everyone!"
Talented individuals may depart, but vital energy remains!
Prof. Dr. Tran Van Tan (Head of the Geometry Department, Hanoi Pedagogical University) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Doan Tuan (Former Deputy Head of the Geometry Department, Hanoi Pedagogical University)
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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/gs-ngnd-doan-quynh-mot-nha-su-pham-mot-nhan-cach-lon-2341371.html
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