When I spoke with Phil last spring (by zoom), I asked whether we’d be able to meet somewhere in the summer - maybe at the CT, or in the UK - and he replied quite matter of factly that he was battling cancer and probably wouldn’t be able to travel. If only I had known that would be the last time I would speak to him! I would have told him how grateful I am for everything he has given me over the years: his mathematical teaching, in print, lectures, and in private conversations; his advice on educational, professional and editorial matters; and most of all, his personal support and friendship. We will all miss him as an insightful and influential member of our community, and I will also miss him as a kind and generous mentor and friend. Thank you, Phil!

On Dec 18, 2023, at 11:10 PM, Richard Blute <rblute@uottawa.ca> wrote:

It is with great sadness that we convey the news to the category theory community that our good friend and colleague Phil Scott passed away this morning (18^th December, 2023) after a long battle with cancer.

Phil’s many contributions to category theory are well known. Phil and Jim Lambek essentially invented the field of categorical proof theory with a series of papers that culminated in the book “Introduction To Higher-Order Categorical Logic”, which is still the standard text on the subject. Phil’s research went well beyond these initial works: he made major contributions to theoretical computer science, linear logic, inverse semigroup theory and recursion theory.

Those of us who knew him personally will always think of him as a mentor, a friend and a genuinely kind soul.

Rick Blute

Robin Cockett

Simon Henry

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