Dear Friends,
I was not
surprised to see
that most of the
messages stressed
Alberto's unique
personality.
Alberto was a
scientist who
contributed some
seminal insights to
pattern matching,
for example the
Augmented Suffix
Tree, parallel
algorithms for
Stringology, or the
study of
quasiperiodicity. He
was also one of the
founders of our
community.
Nevertheless, what
everyone remembered
and reminded was his
generous
personality:
generous to students
and colleagues,
generous to the
field and to the
founding of other
fields.
Computational
Biology started at
the pattern matching
community, and
Alberto always
wanted to encourage
growth and
collaboration with
others. We all know
of research areas
where one needs to
constantly walk with
one's back to the
wall, lest he be
stabbed in the back
by a colleague.
Pattern Matching is
the opposite of
that! My wife, who
joined us this year
for CPM, and who is
used to medical
conferences,
remarked with
amazement at what a
great atmosphere
there was at the
conference! Friends,
this is clearly a
result of the years
of personal example
shown by Alberto. We
all grew up soaking
that kind of
behavior, and we all
emulate it.
About 1700 years ago,
a rabbi came from
Israel to Babylonia.
He was asked to teach
some new insight about
the Torah. He started
out by saying: "Jacob
the Patriarch did not
die!". You have to
understand that there
was an inherent
difference in the way
the Talmud was studied
in Israel and the way
it was studied in
Babylonia. In Israel
the study was more
allegorical whereas
the Babylonians were
more technical and
literal. Thus, when
this famous rabbi from
Israel proclaimed that
Jacob the Patriarch
did not die, the
Babylonians
immediately asked him:
"it says in the Bible
that Jacob was
mummified, and
interned - did they
mummify him for
nought? Did they bury
him for no reason?".
So the Israeli rabbi
explained to them what
he meant: "As long as
his descendents are
alive - he is alive".
As long as there is a
string to be matched, a
periodicity to be
recognized, a genome to
be sequenced, an LCS to
be computed - Alberto is
alive. As long as we
meet, help our
colleagues, support the
junior researchers,
teach the students with
love and care - Alberto
is with us.
And now for a more practical
proposition.
Another trait of Alberto that
has been mentioned is that he
was not a narrowly focused
scientist but a true
intellectual. It was always a
pleasure to discuss with him
all topics - from art to
literature, music, and
philosophy. All this was well
packaged in the mind of an
orator. It was a pleasure to
hear Alberto discuss a topic,
not only for the insights, but
also for the presentation.
While some people with such
talents are pompous, Alberto
was easygoing and fun. He
could use his oratorial skills
for any topic, and the famous
stories that grew from this
talent are witness.
I propose, in Alberto's honor,
that we collect the
Apostolic
Tales for posterity.
I will start and recount a few
such tales. I encourage everyone
to add stories they remember. I
will try to collect and edit them
all.
Below are two famous stories that
come to mind:
The Mormon Conversion
While attending a conference in Salt
Lake City, Alberto had a free afternoon
and went to visit the great Mormon
Temple.
He was assigned a dutiful young guide who
showed him around and expounded the basics
of the Mormon faith.
At the end of the visit his guide asked him
if he would consider converting to Mormon.
Alberto's response, to the best of my
recollection, was:
"Young lady. You were indeed very eloquent. Your
explanations were faultless and one can not deny
the cogency of your arguments.
However, I carry a heavy mantle of historical
duty. As you can see, my name is Apostolico, with
all that it implies. You can easily imagine the
consternation of the leaders and fathers of the
Church, if I converted to Mormonism. In fact, I
don't doubt that the disappointment of the Pope
himself would be immense. Thus, it should not be
taken personally by you that, notwithstanding your
excellent exposition, I shall need to decline your
generous offer to join the Mormon faith".
<try to imagine Alberto saying the above
sentence, and you will be, if only for a brief
moment, back in his presence.>
A Kosher Experience
The late Renato Capocelli is still remembered by us for
the lavish dinners in the meetings he organized.
On one of the first such meetings, he invited Aviezri
Fraenkel.
Alberto prepared Renato in advance for the fact that Aviezri
only eats kosher food, and told him to not take it
personally, but he has religious restrictions and will not
be partaking in the banquet.
Renato heard, and agreed, but such heresy could not penetrate
deeply into his psyche.
Throughout the meal he tried to contain himself but, as time
went on, as everyone was getting happier and fuller, and all
this while Aviezri was just eating his tomato and cucumber, the
superego was burst and Renato reverted to his gregarious
hospitable self. "Avitsri", he said (Renato never mastered the
pronunciation of Aviezri's name) "try this food, it is very
good!". Aviezri, with his quiet smile declined, saying he is
assured it is good but, unfortunately, he can not eat it. This
calmed Renato for a minute only. A moment later, he exclaimed:
"Atsivri - you must try this, it is excellent!!!". Again Aviezri
quietly and politely declined. Finally, Renato could not take it
any longer. He speared some morsel with his fork, grabbed
Aviezri by his shoulders and waved the fork back and forth in
front of Aviezri's face and toward his mouth crying with
exasperation: "Azviri - eat, eat, THIS IS MARVELOUS!"
It will be great if you could all share the immortal
stories you remember. As I said, I will do my best to
edit and collect them.
With sorrow for what was lost and can not be found
again,
-- Ami