Ruth Michele Charney (born 1950) is an American mathematician known for her work in

geometric group theory Geometric group theory is an area in mathematics devoted to the study of finitely generated groups via exploring the connections between algebraic properties of such groups and topological and geometric properties of spaces on which these group ...

and Artin groups. Other areas of research include

K-theory In mathematics, K-theory is, roughly speaking, the study of a ring generated by vector bundles over a topological space or scheme. In algebraic topology, it is a cohomology theory known as topological K-theory. In algebra and algebraic geometr ...

and

algebraic topology Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics that uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces. The basic goal is to find algebraic invariant (mathematics), invariants that classification theorem, classify topological spaces up t ...

. She holds the Theodore and Evelyn G. Berenson Chair in Mathematics at

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

. She was in the first group of mathematicians named Fellows 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, ...

. She was in the first group of mathematicians named Fellows 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 ...

. She served as president of the

during 2013–2015, and served as president of the

for the 2021–2023 term.

Life

Charney attended

, graduating in mathematics in 1972. She then attended

Merce Cunningham Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...

Dance Studio for a year, studying

modern dance Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert dance, concert or theatrical dance which includes dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th ...

. She received her Ph.D. from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

in 1977 under

Wu-Chung Hsiang Wu-Chung Hsiang (; born 12 June 1935) is a Taiwanese-American mathematician, specializing in topology. Hsiang served as chairman of the Department of Mathematics at Princeton University from 1982 to 1985 and was one of the most influential Topolog ...

Work

Following her graduation from

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, Charney took a postdoctoral position at

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, followed by an NSF postdoctoral appointment/assistant professor position at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. She worked for

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

until 2003, when she returned to work at

. Charney served as president of the

during 2013–2015. She emphasized the importance of encouraging young women in mathematics through summer programs, mentorships, and parental involvement. She has served as an editor of the journal '' Algebraic and Geometric Topology'' from 2000 to 2007. In 2019 she was elected to serve as president of the

during 2021–2023. She currently serves as the

AMS AMS or Ams may refer to: Organizations Companies * Alenia Marconi Systems * American Management Systems * AMS (Advanced Music Systems) * ams AG, semiconductor manufacturer * AMS Pictures * Auxiliary Medical Services Educational institutions ...

Immediate Past President. Additionally, she was a member at large for the

from 1992 to 1994.

Honors

*In 2013 Charney was named a Fellow of the

in the inaugural class. *In 2017 she was selected as a Fellow of the

in the inaugural class.

Selected publications

*Charney, Ruth; Davis, Michael W
''Finite K(π,1)s for Artin groups''.
Prospects in topology (Princeton, NJ, 1994), 110–124, Ann. of Math. Stud., 138, Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, 1995
MR1368655
* Charney, Rut
''Geodesic automation and growth functions for Artin groups of finite type''.
Math. Ann. 301 (1995), no. 2, 307–324
MR1314589
* Charney, Ruth ''Artin groups of finite type are biautomatic''. Math. Ann. 292 (1992), no. 4, 671–683
MR1157320
* Charney, Rut
''An introduction to right-angled Artin groups''.
Geom. Dedicata 125 (2007), 141–158
MR2322545

References

External links

* Ruth Charney'
Author Profile
on MathSciNet {{DEFAULTSORT:Charney, Ruth 21st-century American women mathematicians 21st-century American mathematicians Brandeis University alumni Brandeis University faculty Fellows of the American Mathematical Society American feminists American geometers Group theorists American topologists Living people 1950 births Fellows of the Association for Women in Mathematics Presidents of the American Mathematical Society