Mathematicians do not work in isolation. They stand in a long and time honored tradition. They write papers and (sometimes) books, they read the publications of fellow workers in the ?eld, and they meet other mathematicians at conferences all over the world. In this way, in contact with colleagues far away and nearby, from the past (via their writings) and from the present, scienti?c results are obtained whicharerecognizedasvalid.Andthat remarkablyenough regardlessofethnic background, political inclination or religion. In this process, some distinguished individuals play a special and...