Editorial

Abstract

In September 1996, Professor Paul Erdős, one of the mathematical legends of this century, died while attending a conference in Warsaw, Poland. His death at the age of 83 marked the end of a great era, for Erdős was not only an outstanding mathematician but a very kind and generous human being, who encouraged hundreds of mathematicians over the decades, especially young aspirants to the subject. Many, including me, owe their careers to him. He was without doubt the most prolific mathematician of this century, having written more than 1000 papers, a significant proportion of them being joint papers. Even in a mathematical world, which is used to geniuses and their idiosyncracies, Erdős was considered an unusual phenomenon and was viewed with awe and adoration, just as Ramanujan evoked surprise and admiration. And like Ramanujan’s mathematics, the contributions of Erdős will continue to inspire and influence research in the decades ahead.