August 17, 2024 23:02

I've been studying topology using the famous Munkres book. In fact, if you look up which topology books are good, it's pretty much guaranteed that his name will show up. Not only that, but he's been a professor at MIT for decades. So I got curious to see him talk. Maybe an interview, or even better, a lecture or any sort of speech.

I'm stumped. There is absolutely not a single video anywhere with James Munkres. This guy is probably one of the most famous topology authors in the world, was even elected as a fellow in the AMS in 2018, a professor emeritus at MIT, and still not a single record of him anywhere, except for a single picture of him in his MIT professor profile. Is it because he doesn't want to be recorded anywhere and avoids speaking in conferences? Or did nobody ever think to invite him for any sort of interview?