Uhlenbeck delivered her Noether Lecture 'Applications of Nonlinear Functional Analysis in Geometry' at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Atlanta.
On January 7, 1988, Karen Uhlenbeck delivered her Noether Lecture titled "Applications of Nonlinear Functional Analysis in Geometry" at the Joint Mathematics Meetings held in Atlanta, Georgia. This lecture served as the centerpiece of her recognition as the year's AWM Noether Lecturer.
In her address, Uhlenbeck presented an overview of her research program, which used tools from nonlinear functional analysis to solve deep problems in differential geometry, including questions about harmonic maps, minimal surfaces, and Yang-Mills connections. Her lecture illustrated how techniques originally developed for analyzing partial differential equations could unlock geometric insights previously inaccessible through classical methods.
The lecture was historically significant as it showcased to a broad mathematical audience the power of blending analysis, geometry, and physics ideas—an approach that would come to define the subfield of geometric analysis over subsequent decades. It also provided a rare, high-visibility platform for a woman mathematician to present cutting-edge research to the wider mathematical community.
The talk cemented her reputation as an eloquent expositor as well as a rigorous researcher, and it remains cited as an important survey of her contributions during this pivotal period of her career.