I was very sorry to hear today that Jan Saxl died this weekend. Jan was my director of studies at Caius, Cambridge, so was one of my earliest mathematical mentors, and since I eventually moved into group theory he must have been an influential one. Jan could always be relied on for friendly support. I will miss him dearly.
I will share one joke he once made that comes to mind. In his after-dinner speech at the annual Caius maths dinner, he began, “I was told to keep it short and don’t be nostalgic. Well, nostalgia isn’t what it once was…”
The College is deeply saddened to hear of the death of long-standing and much-loved Caius Fellow and Professor of Algebra @Cambridge_Uni Professor Jan Saxl on 2 May 2020. pic.twitter.com/lrt0mZOHCC
— Gonville & Caius College (@CaiusCollege) May 4, 2020
Random Permutations 