Publication of writings by Alexander Grrothendieck

[Ronnie Brown <ronnie.profbrown@btinternet.com>]

Dear All,

In view of a letter written by Alexander Grothendieck  on January 3,
2010, giving  a kind of interdiction on further publication of any of
his writings or correspondence, in any form, I would like to make the
following clear.

I started corresponding with Alexander in 1982; this turned into a
friendly and warm correspondence, which he later termed `a baton rompu',
and which I found greatly encouraging. I early on asked him if I might
circulate what he wrote to some of those interested, and he gave me full
permission. This led to the circulation in 1983 of successive parts of
Pursuing Stacks, a manuscript `written in English in response to a
correspondence in English'. My memory is that he wrote that he sent out
two copies, to me and to Larry Breen.  At that time, he was pleased at
the further circulation and the interest in it. It would seem to me to
be in the public domain. On the question of publication, he insisted
that any publication  should  be with nothing removed. At one time he
suggested that Pursuing Stacks was to be Part I of a new work `A la
Poursuite des Champs' in several volumes and in a new and innovative style.

The later manuscripts, Esquisse d'un Programme, and Recolte et Semaille,
were widely circulated by him, I believe.

The last letter I had from him was in 1991, very friendly, in response
to a postcard from  Iona.

I hope these comments are helpful.

Ronnie Brown
www.bangor.ac.uk/r.brown

Further information on the letter with much discussion is at

*http://sbseminar.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/grothendiecks-letter/


*



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