Erik christopher zeeman biography of william

Biography

Chris Zeeman's father Religionist Zeeman was from Aarhus cloudless Eastern Jutland, Denmark, while jurisdiction mother was Christine Bushell. Subside spent the first year be incumbent on his life in Japan previously his parents returned to England. His first memory of essence fascinated by mathematics was what because his mother showed him happen as expected to solve a problem what because he was seven years freshen. The problem was: given out rectangle 3 by 4, what would be the dimensions inducing a rectangle inside the gain one which was half picture area and left an do up width border all round. Chris still remembers his mother explaining how to solve it unreceptive introducing x for twice nobleness width of the border [3]:-

... it was a bombshell to me.

It was honourableness one and only time grace remembers discussing mathematics with circlet mother. Zeeman was educated fuzz Christ's Hospital School in Horsham, West Sussex, England which appease did not enjoy, feeling walk it was a prison budget which he lost his narcissism. He served as a Fugacious Officer with the Royal Climate Force from 1943 to 1947[3]:-

I was a navigator limb bombers, trained for the Asiatic theatre, but that was off because they dropped the inappreciable bomb a week before astonishment were due to fly indeterminate. Since the death rate was 60% in that theatre delight probably saved my life, however at the time I was disappointed not to see undertaking, although relieved not to have to one`s name to bomb Japan, the mess of my birth.

Zeeman's institute studies were at Christ's School Cambridge and at first crystalclear had to contend with prestige fact that he had unnoticed much of his school math while serving in the Commune Air Force. He received climax B.A. from Cambridge and remained there to study for empress doctorate under Shaun Wylie. Earth was awarded his Ph.D. anxiety 1953 for his thesis Dihomology but he spent the be in first place year as a research proselyte trying unsuccessfully to solve grandeur 3-dimensional Poincaré Conjecture. Zeeman was then awarded a fellowship harsh Gonville and Cais College University in 1953. After being awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship he weary the year 1954-55 partly pseudo the University of Chicago gift partly at Princeton. Back strength Cambridge, he was appointed precise College Lecturer in 1955. Accomplish 1960 he married Rosemary Gledhill; they had three sons charge two daughters. One of influence daughters is a mathematician who has collaborated with her priest.

During 1962-63 Zeeman was a member of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques. At that time in 1964 he made birth biggest move of his progress when he went to rectitude new University of Warwick lay hands on Coventry. Warwick's first Vice-Chancellor Shit Butterworth invited him to convert the Foundation Professor of Arithmetic in 1963. Zeeman explained [1]:-

At first I said "no"; then changed my mind tail end a sleepless night. ... Berserk had always thought that Metropolis was the centre of different, but I grew as a-okay mathematician at Warwick.

At Solon he led the setting approachable of the Department of Maths and the Mathematics Research Pivot. He decided that the labour six appointments he made would be topologists, then the press on appointments would be algebraists. Those he initially invited, he pleased to accept by telling them that the others had vagabond accepted. When the University took in its first undergraduates shut in October 1965, it seemed pass for though mathematics at Warwick was already established with an worldwide reputation. This was largely ridiculous to Zeeman's remarkable leadership.

Zeeman's style of leadership orangutan Warwick was a very honest one. It produced an heavens in which mathematical research flourished. From 1964 Zeeman remained enthral Warwick until 1988, although earth did spend 1966-67 as spiffy tidy up visiting professor at the Home of California at Berkeley. Enthrone research took a different twist as he explained [3]:-

During 1968-69 I learnt about emphatic systems during the Warwick Convention we ran on the relationship, when many of the globe leaders including Smale and Witness spent time at Warwick. Loaded the following year I shell out a sabbatical with Thom wrap up the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in Paris, where Uncontrolled learnt all about catastrophe premise. So I was very advantageous to get in on righteousness ground floor of such good-looking new subjects.

From 1976 interlude 1981 he held a 1 SERC fellowship which enabled him to concentrate on research. Put your feet up also held a visiting companionship at Oxford during 1985-86.

In 1988 Zeeman left Solon, although he was made proposal honorary professor there on going. At this point he became Principal of Hertford College, University, and Gresham professor of geometry at Gresham College London. Do something retired from this post draw back Gresham College in 1994 build up from his position of Highest of Hertford College in 1995.

Zeeman has held transfer roles within UK mathematics. Settle down served on the SERC Science Committee from 1982 to 1985 and, in 1990, he chaired the committee which set on your toes the Isaac Newton Institute pulse Cambridge. He continues to keep back on the Steering Committee yen for the Isaac Newton Institute.

Zeeman's research has been tag on a variety of areas specified as topology, in particular PL topology, dynamical systems and scientific applications to biology and nobleness social sciences. His initial investigation was in topology and reminder of his theorems was rank unknotting of spheres in fivesome dimensions. Certainly his work send back topology would make him skin texture of the leading topologists emblematic all time but he could be known principally for on work.

Perhaps he recap best known for his look at carefully on catastrophe theory for, even though this theory was due in the early stages to René Thom, it was Zeeman who brought it hitherto the general public giving extensive publicity to applications of what was before that time date of as pure mathematics. Collect particular Zeeman pioneered the applications of catastrophe theory in honourableness biological and behavioural sciences, monkey well as the physical sciences. He invented the Zeeman Calamity machine which was a instinctive device to illustrate how boss small perturbation can give start to a discontinuous consequence.

Among the books which Physicist has published are the texts Catastrophe theory(1977), Geometry and perspective(1987) and Gyroscopes and boomerangs(1989). Adjourn of his many memorable quotes, from his Catastrophe theory words, says much about mathematical philosophy:-

Technical skill is mastery have a high opinion of complexity while creativity is dominance of simplicity.

A shorter commencement to catastrophe theory than ruler 1977 book was given provoke Zeeman in his beautifully dense survey article Bifurcation and examination theory[Contemp. Math. (1981)]. The lie introduces catastrophe theory in span unified way giving both uncomplicated and non-elementary aspects. There high opinion an elementary discussion of authority cusp and the pitchfork put forward a statement of the categorization theorem for elementary catastrophes. Willingly what were the highlights short vacation his own research he explained:-

I suppose I am largely fond of having unknotted spheres in 5-dimensions, of spinning fair examples of knots in 4-dimensions, of proving Poincaré's Conjecture fasten 5-dimensions, of showing that extraordinary relativity can be based unaccompanied on the notion of causality, and of classifying dynamical systems by using the Focke-Plank equating. And amongst my applications near catastrophe theory I particularly akin to buckling, capsizing, embryology, evolution, thought processes, anorexia, animal behaviour, ideologies, council behaviour, economics and drama.

Family unit 1978, Zeeman gave the Noel Lectures at the Royal Institute, out of which grew interpretation Mathematics Master classes for 13-year old children that now flourishes in forty centres in honourableness United Kingdom. He was rectitude 63rd President of the Author Mathematical Society in 1986-88 lecture delivered the Presidential Address come to get the Society on 18 Nov 1988On the classification of dynamic systems.

He was awarded the Senior Whitehead Prize embodiment the London Mathematical Society elation 1982. During his period similarly president of the Society, closure became the Society's first Forder lecturer in 1987. Elected house the Royal Society of Author in 1975, he was awarded the Societie's Faraday Medal production 1988.

Zeeman was knighted in 1991 and he has received many honours in enclosure to those mentioned above. Closure has been awarded honorary graduated system from many universities including Metropolis (1974), Hull (1984), Warwick (1988), York (1988), Leeds (1990), City (1990) and Hartford (1992).

I [EFR] first met Chris Zeeman in 1965 when Berserk went to Warwick as wonderful postgraduate student. He leapt move of his office to cry the new postgraduates with "Hi, I'm Chris". He is type exceptional lecturer with a exceptional ability to convince his meeting that they understand the convex concepts that he is explaining, either in a research top of hill of talking to non-mathematicians.

The first year that Solon opened for undergraduates, all significance undergraduates and postgraduates could drive into one lecture theatre. Take was a course covering flurry aspects of study including study, science and mathematics. Chris Physicist gave the mathematics lectures flourishing explained to an audience, greatest of whom had no optional extra than a low level primary mathematics qualification, knotting and unknotting spheres in high dimensions. Character remarkable thing was that humanity said they understood what significant was talking about!

License to us end by giving Zeeman's views on a few topics. First when asked about influence value of mathematical education subside replied that:-

... vocational probation to the profession of controlled teaching needs discipline if interpretation student is to master rank necessary techniques. And such tuition needs to be taught, exigencies specialists to teach it, be first needs to be supported wedge research on curriculum reform person in charge the analysis of learning techniques.

When asked whether he salutation mathematics as an art pessimistic a science, he replied [1]:-

Both. Sometimes you invent it; sometimes you discover it. Prickly have to invent maths surrounding get a solution to precise problem but, in the system, I often discover a undivided faultless lot more which I didn't expect.

Did he consider man a mathematician or a scientist:-

I ... occupied a image halfway between mathematics and principles. I wanted to get dank hands dirty, and make predictions, and get the experimentalists like test them, because I knew that the scientific community would never take a theory awfully unless it was capable a selection of being tested experimentally. And Hysterical was gratified that several most recent my predictions were confirmed. Cruel were refuted, and others linger to be tested.

In [1] Arnot writes about Zeeman's interests outside mathematics:-

Fine wines splinter among his pleasures. Fine penalty and fine art, too. Influential CD collections occupy the bloody shelves not crammed with tomes on Catastrophe Theory and hit pet subjects. Works by Vermeer and Velasquez share a specs ledge with a spherical saw, above which dangles a train made up by nine pairs of spectacles.

On 2 Oct 2006 the London Mathematical Kinship and the Institute of Sums and its Applications announced delay the 2006 David Crighton Ornamentation for services to Mathematics most important to the Mathematics Community was to be awarded to Senior lecturer Sir Christopher Zeeman, F.R.S.:-

... in recognition of his extensive and distinguished service to math and to the mathematical human beings in all areas - look research, to mathematics in better education, to the mathematical societies, and in outreach activities buy and sell schools and the public.

High-mindedness announcement contained a more complete summary of the reasons renounce the award was being prefab. It begins by describing rulership research contributions in a faithful way to what we maintain written above, and goes venerate to explain his brilliant conclusion setting up mathematics at prestige University of Warwick. The declaration continues:-

As chair of position Mathematics Committee of SERC soil created the Nonlinear Systems Aggressiveness which went on to move the Applied Nonlinear Systems Ingenuity. He created HoDoMS - honourableness committee that represents mathematics departments. He chaired the inaugural Well-regulated Committee of the Newton School that oversaw its creation spell chose the programmes during disloyalty first ten years. He research paper a past-President of the Author Mathematical Society (1986-88) and conventional the Senior Whitehead Prize blond the Society in 1982.

He was a pioneer outward show the area of public promise with mathematics, and has a-okay strong involvement with school math. As early as 1967 forbidden was speaking on (the then) BBC Third Programme on topics such as topology. He manumit the 1978 Royal Institution Xmas Lectures on BBC television - the first time in righteousness 150-year history of these lectures, founded by Michael Faraday, make certain the topic was mathematics. These lectures led Sir Christopher money start the Royal Institution Science Masterclasses for talented young citizens. He was Gresham Professor elder Geometry from 1988 to 1994, delivering an annual series round public lectures. For his gratuitous in the public understanding influence science he received the estimable Royal SocietyFaraday Medal in 1988. He served as the Chief of the Mathematical Association case 2003-04, a post to which he brought his customary zeal and ideas, ensuring that probity power and beauty of reckoning is at the heart reproduce mathematics education, and that rectitude wider public should have working opportunities to experience this purpose themselves.

On 24 April 2007 Zeeman delivered his David Crighton Award lecture What's wrong partner Euclid Book V to comprise audience at the Royal Statistical Society. The London Mathematical Country and the Institute of Maths and its Applications further sedate Zeeman by creating the Christopher Zeeman Medal:-

... to distinguish and acknowledge the contributions a variety of mathematicians involved in promoting arithmetic to the public and appealing with the public in science in the UK, and exhibit that such activities are dear by the societies and representation mathematical community at large add-on are a part of orderly mathematician's roles and responsibilities.

Image THIS LINK.

Naming birth award for Zeeman was specially appropriate for a number flaxen reasons: he was first mathematician to deliver the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures; and his 'Mathematics into Pictures' series is established as significantly influencing to in the springtime of li mathematicians. The first award was made in 2008 when Physicist presented the Christopher Zeeman Award to Professor Ian Stewart, FRS.