Magnhild Lien is a Norwegian mathematician specializing in

knot theory In the mathematical field of topology, knot theory is the study of knot (mathematics), mathematical knots. While inspired by knots which appear in daily life, such as those in shoelaces and rope, a mathematical knot differs in that the ends are ...

. She is a

professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of mathematics at

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...

, and the former executive director of the

Association for Women in Mathematics The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is a professional society whose mission is to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity for and the equal treatment o ...

Education and career

Lien was born in

Arendal Arendal () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder counties of Norway, county in southeastern Norway. Arendal belongs to the Districts of Norway, region of Southern Norway, Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the munici ...

, a town on the southern Norwegian island of

Tromøya Tromøya () or Tromøy () (historic: ''Tromø'') is the largest island in Southern Norway. The island is entirely located in the municipality of Arendal in Agder county, Norway. The island has about 5,300 residents (in 2015) which gives it a p ...

, where she grew up as the youngest of six children and the only girl in her family. She earned a bachelor's degree from

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

in 1979, and completed her Ph.D. in 1984 from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

. Her dissertation, ''Construction of High Dimensional Knot Groups from Classical Knot Groups'', was supervised by Jonathan Kalman Simon. She joined the faculty at California State University, Northridge in 1987, and served as department chair of mathematics there from 1998 to 2006. She was executive director of the Association for Women in Mathematics from 2012 to 2018.

Contributions

As well as publishing her own mathematical research on knot theory, Lien has written about women in mathematics in collaboration with her husband, sociologist Harvey Rich.

Recognition

Lien was included in the 2019 class of fellows of the Association for Women in Mathematics "for extraordinary leadership and service devoted to advancing and supporting women in the mathematical sciences, as AWM executive director and, for a quarter century, as initiator, director, and fundraiser of programs for women".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lien, Magnhild Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Arendal Norwegian mathematicians 20th-century American mathematicians American women mathematicians Norwegian women mathematicians Topologists McGill University alumni University of Iowa alumni California State University, Northridge faculty Fellows of the Association for Women in Mathematics 20th-century women mathematicians 20th-century American women 20th-century Norwegian women 21st-century American women