Marshall M. Cohen

Professor Emeritus
Department of Mathematics
Malott Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-4201

  

 Email:   marshall@math.cornell.edu
   
   

 

Research and Teaching

I am a geometric topologist and a combinatorial group theorist. Much of my
work has dealt with the introduction of combinatorial and algebraic themes
into geometric problems or geometric themes into combinatorial and
algebraic problems. Over the years this work has involved the intermingling
of topological manifolds, combinatorial topology, the foundations of piecewise
linear topology, simple-homotopy theory, automorphisms of free groups,
spaces of length functions on groups and equations over groups.  Currently
the second best description of me is as a geometric group theorist.

The title which I most covet is that of teacher. The writing of a research
paper and the teaching of freshman calculus, and everything in between,
falls under this rubric.   Happy   is the person who comes to understand
something and then gets to explain it.

In addition to research and teaching I deeply enjoy my role as faculty advisor
to undergraduates.

See   Ode to Geometric Group Theory ,    (ps,  pdf).

 

Publications    (ps,  pdf)

 

Vita    (ps,  pdf)

 

Ph.d Students

 

Co-Authors

 

 

Book Project

GROUPS AND GEOMETRY: A Bridge to the Mathematics Major

by Marshall M. Cohen and Kevin M. Pilgrim

 
This textbook is in 5 chapters. The first four have been written (though not in absolutely final form) and the last chapter is still to be written, though the present manuscript does contain the beginnings of one possible version.

The book has been used a number of times to teach Math 356 at Cornell University, the course for which the book is created.

To see and possibly download the book