Michael Boardman

Michael Boardman

[Joyal, André]

Dear category theorists,

Terry Bisson just sent me the obituary of Mike Boardman.
It is in the monthly email from American Math. Soc.

Here is the AMS statement:

J. Michael Boardman (1938-2021) April 02, 2021 Boardman, a professor emeritus of mathematics at
Johns Hopkins University, passed away on March 18 at the age of 83. He earned his PhD at the
University of Cambridge in 1965, advised by C. T. C. Wall. Boardman came to  Johns Hopkins as an
associate professor in 1969 and became a full professor in 1972. An expert in in algebraic and
differential topology, Boardman was best known for constructing the first rigorously correct
model of the homotopy category of spectra. His work in homotopy theory set the foundation for
further advances in the field. In 1998, the AMS held a conference on homotopy in his honor.
“Boardman himself could be found staffing the information table at his own conference, helping
guests with accommodations and local restaurants,” wrote his daughter Susan. She added that her
father was known for his humility, kind nature, and dry wit. He was an AMS member since 1965,
and he was named to the inaugural class of AMS Fellows.

Read more in this Johns Hopkins obituary.                 https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/03/19/michael-boardman-obituary/

I would like to add:
Boardman invented the notion of quasi-category.
The notion first appeared in his book with Vogt  "Homotopy Invariant Algebraic Structures on Topological Spaces".
Vogt once  told me that when he was a student, Boardman came one morning with the notion, fully constituted.
A quasi-category could be called a Boardman complex (like a Kan complex).
A Boardman complex is called an infinity-category by Lurie.
It seems fair to say that Boardman gave higher category theory a foundation.
He also constructed the category of spectra.
Jon Beck was very fond of the work of Boardman and Vogt.

Best wishes,
André Joyal




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