Christiane Rousseau (born March 30, 1954, in

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) is a French and Canadian mathematician, a professor in the department of mathematics and statistics at the

Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal (; UdeM; ) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on M ...

. She was president of the Canadian Mathematical Society from 2002 to 2004.Curriculum vitae
retrieved 2014-12-17.

Education and career

Rousseau earned her Ph.D. from the Université de Montréal in 1977, under the supervision of Dana Schlomiuk, with a thesis entitled "Topos Theory and Complex Analysis". After postdoctoral research at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

, she joined the Montréal faculty in 1979, and was promoted to full professor in 1991. She was interim Director of

Centre de Recherches Mathématiques The Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM) is the first mathematical research institute in Canada, located at the Université de Montréal. The CRM has ten research laboratories, one in each of: mathematical analysis, number theory and symbolic ...

from 2008 to 2009. She was the first female vice-president of the

International Mathematical Union The International Mathematical Union (IMU) is an international organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of mathematics across the world. It is a member of the International Science Council (ISC) and supports the International ...

, from 2011 to 2014. She implemented and led the Mathematics on Planet Earth initiative in 2013 (MPE 2013), supported by UNESCO, and played a leading role in having March 14 declared the International Day of Mathematics by UNESCO.

Scientific work

Rousseau's main areas of research are differential equations and

dynamical systems In mathematics, a dynamical system is a system in which a Function (mathematics), function describes the time dependence of a Point (geometry), point in an ambient space, such as in a parametric curve. Examples include the mathematical models ...

. This includes work on singularities of differential equations,

bifurcation theory Bifurcation theory is the Mathematics, mathematical study of changes in the qualitative or topological structure of a given family of curves, such as the integral curves of a family of vector fields, and the solutions of a family of differential e ...

Hilbert's sixteenth problem Hilbert's 16th problem was posed by David Hilbert at the Paris conference of the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1900, as part of his list of 23 problems in mathematics. The original problem was posed as the ''Problem of the topology ...

(the part about differential equations) as well as analysis of important differential equations in

mathematical biology Mathematical and theoretical biology, or biomathematics, is a branch of biology which employs theoretical analysis, mathematical models and abstractions of living organisms to investigate the principles that govern the structure, development ...

such as the predator-prey Lotka–Volterra equations. Other scientific interests include applications of

Lie algebra In mathematics, a Lie algebra (pronounced ) is a vector space \mathfrak g together with an operation called the Lie bracket, an alternating bilinear map \mathfrak g \times \mathfrak g \rightarrow \mathfrak g, that satisfies the Jacobi ident ...

to the

Grand Unified Theory A Grand Unified Theory (GUT) is any Mathematical model, model in particle physics that merges the electromagnetism, electromagnetic, weak interaction, weak, and strong interaction, strong fundamental interaction, forces (the three gauge theory, ...

. She actively participates in mathematics popularization programs in high schools and cégeps, namely through presentations as well as the publication of over 35 vulgarization articles in the Accromath journal.

Recognition

She has received the Adrien-Pouliot Prize and the Abel-Gauthier Prize of the Mathematical Association of Québec, and the 2009 Graham Wright Award for Distinguished Service from the Canadian Mathematical Society. She also received the 2014 George Pólya Award of the

Mathematical Association of America The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary edu ...

for her article about a discovery by Inge Lehmann, "How Inge Lehmann Discovered the Inner Core of the Earth". In 2012, she became a

fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the

American Mathematical Society The American Mathematical Society (AMS) is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, and serves the national and international community through its publications, meetings, ...

(AMS). In 2017 she became the inaugural recipient of the AMS'

Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and public intellectual. He had influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, and various areas of analytic ...

prize for furthering human values and the common good through mathematics. In 2018 the Canadian Mathematical Society listed her in their inaugural class of fellows. In 2024, she was appointed as an officer to the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

. She lives in Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Quebec.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rousseau, Christiane 1954 births Living people French mathematicians Canadian mathematicians Academic staff of the Université de Montréal People from Versailles Fellows of the American Mathematical Society Fellows of the Canadian Mathematical Society 21st-century French women mathematicians 21st-century French mathematicians Presidents of the Canadian Mathematical Society Officers of the Order of Canada French emigrants to Canada People from Montérégie