Arthur Rubin

Arthur Leonard Rubin (born 1956) is an American mathematician and aerospace engineer, most notable for being named a Putnam Fellow on four consecutive occasions from 1970 to 1973.

Life and career

Rubin's mother was Jean E. Rubin, a professor of mathematics at Purdue University and his father, Herman Rubin, a professor of statistics at the same university. He earned his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology in 1978, under the direction of Alexander S. Kechris.

Rubin unsuccessfully stood as a Libertarian to represent the 55th district in the 1984 California State Assembly elections.

Awards and honors

Rubin published his first paper in 1969 at the age of 13. As an undergraduate, Rubin was named a Putnam Fellow on four occasions, the first time in 1970, aged 14, making him the youngest Fellow to date. A Putnam fellowship is awarded to the five highest ranked scorers in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, an annual competition for undergraduate college students enrolled at institutions of higher learning in the United States and Canada. In 1972, he tied for third place in the first USA Mathematical Olympiad.