Conjeevaram Srirangachar Seshadri

Abstract Professor C. S. Seshadri was an internationally renowned mathematician whose research covered many topics. The continuing theme of much of this work was the study of moduli spaces: algebraic varieties that classify various types of algebro-geometric objects such as curves and vector bundles. As with physical maps, these give an explicit representation of the totality of objects of a particular kind all at once. His first major breakthrough was his construction with M. S. Narasimhan of such a moduli space for vector bundles on a curve over the complex numbers. He studied all aspects of these spaces using invariant theory, unitary representations, ampleness criteria and compactifications. Later, he took up a second question: the explicit description in all characteristics of Schubert varieties, which are moduli for multiple configurations of linear subspaces of projective space. After retirement, he built from scratch a new institute that is a model for a fresh approach to Indian education, named the Chennai Mathematical Institute. In this he showed organizational brilliance quite unique among mathematicians.