The Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford

The Mathematical Institute is the mathematics department at the University of Oxford, England. It forms one of the eight departments of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division in the University.

The Institute is located in a building built in 1966 at the southern end of Banbury Road in central Oxford [Mathematical Institute, headington.org [http://www.headington.org.uk/oxon/stgiles/tour/east/24_29_maths.htm] ] The building of the institute was originally proposed by G.H. Hardy at least 30 years earlier [The British Society for the History of Mathematics Gazetteer [http://www.dcs.warwick.ac.uk/bshm/zingaz/OxfordPeople.html] ] . In 1934 Hardy was allocated six rooms in the new extension to the Radcliffe Science LibraryTrevor Henry Aston, The History of the University of Oxford, 1984,ISBN 0198229747] . The current building was desined by University surveyors office.

The Mathematical Institute includes both pure and applied mathematics (statistics is a separate department) and is one of the largest and most respected mathematics departments in the UK. [Comparing top mathematics departments in universities in the UK 2008, [http://www.maths.manchester.ac.uk/~bl/maths_league/uk-maths-league-tables.html] ] .The institute houses a community of 120 mathematicians from postgraduate students to professors. [ [http://sag.maths.ox.ac.uk/Oxford/Oxford.htm Mathematical Institute, Oxford University ] ] .

Oxford has three "statutory chairs" in pure mathematics. The Waynflete Professorship of Pure Mathematics held by D G Quillen, a Fields medallist, the Wallis Professorship is held by Professor T J Lyons while the Savillian Professorship held by Nigel Hitchin, FRS. In applied mathematics there are two statutory chairs : the Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy is held by John M. Ball, FRS, and the Rouse Ball chair held by P Candelas. Roger Penrose is a prominent emeritus member of the Institute.

Plans are underway for the Institute to move to new purpose designed premises on the site of the Radcliffe Infirmary on Walton Street. [MATHEMATICAL INSTITUTE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE Report January 2005, [http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/files/imported/notices/committees/departmental/reports/pdf/report-HT05a.pdf] ]

In 2007 the Institute joined five other UK University mathematics departments in forming the Taught Course Centre, a collaborative project to allow maths lecturers at each of the five Universities to give lectures to students at each of the others using Access Grid technology.

See also

* Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics
* Savilian Professor of Geometry
* Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy

External links

* [http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/ The Mathematical Institute website]

References