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Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 16:29:09 -0500
From: Chandler Davis <[email protected]> Message-Id: <[email protected]> To: [email protected],
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Dear Dr Gudayol:

I read your rather long accusation with interest. Of course it is not publishable as it is. Perhaps some portion of it should be published, but I don't know how to suggest you proceed. You complain that the French mathematical establishment has gone beyond the usual bounds of propriety in pushing its candidates for honours; this has been said already by Arnold and does not need to be repeated by you. Your conjectures about politicking on the Fields Medal selection committee are not plausible, and you say you don't care much about the Medals anyway, so you should probably drop this part of your complaint. (On one hand, without somebody supporting some part of the story, you can not expect it to be believed; on the other hand, it would be absurd for you to do a lot of investigation in the search for supporting testimony, because it would take you away from activities more valuable to you and to the world.) That leaves two major areas of complaint in your account. One, you complain that Orsay treats visitors too coldly. That could be the subject of an amusing short story. Secondly, you complain that Yoccoz used a result of yours which he had been informed of, with credit to you. Good! I'm glad he found it helped his research program, and so should you be. I'm glad that your teachers who informed him of it gave you credit. I'm sorry that Yoccoz was not gracious enough to take the opportunity when he met you to say with cheerful enthusiasm, "So you are Gudayol! I was happy to use your result! I'm happy to meet you!" I hope he will make up for his failure of courtesy by future courtesy toward you, and of course by expressing his indebtedness in print. Do your teachers agree that he ought to do so? Maybe it would be better manners for them to say this to him than for you. Your telling the story as one of theft is unfortunate, and will make it harder for them and for Yoccoz to express their appreciation of you in a normal way; but I hope they will do so anyway.

I hope your research is still going well and you are finding good jobs and fellowships.

Sincerely, Chandler Davis

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