In this historical feature we explore Cornelius Lanczos (1893-1974) and his influential work. Cornelius Lanczos discovered an exact solution to the Einstein field equation. It is one of the simplest known exact solutions in general relativity and is regarded as an important example. Watch him talk about mathematics, his work with Albert Einstein and his…
In this historical feature we explore Sir Horace Lamb (1849-1934) and his influential work. Horace Lamb made important contributions to applied mathematics, in particular to acoustics, seismology and fluid dynamics. He is best known for his book Hydrodynamics, which with his several other textbooks played a major role in university teaching and research for many…
In this historical feature we explore Brian Hartley (1939-1994) and his influential work. Brian Hartley is known for his outstanding work in many different areas of group theory. He made important contributions to the theory of locally finite groups, group-rings, soluble groups, simple groups, permutation groups, linear groups and representation of groups. Hartley spent periods…
In this historical feature we explore Sydney Goldstein (1903-1989) and his influential work. Sydney Goldstein made fundamental contributions in fluid dynamics, especially aerodynamics. After his studies at Leeds and Cambridge, Goldstein became a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, in 1929. In the same year he was appointed Lecturer in Mathematics at Manchester, where the…
In this historical feature we explore Frank Adams (1930-1989) and his influential work. J Frank Adams made fundamental advances in algebraic topology. He wrote five extremely influential textbooks on the subject and was one of the founders of stable homotopy theory. After studying in Cambridge, Adams moved to Oxford as a Junior Lecturer. In 1957…
In this historical feature we explore Hanna Neumann (1914-1971) and her influential work. Hanna Neumman (born von Caemmerer, 1914) was a prominent group theorist, most well known for her work on varieties of groups. She was an eminent mathematician, and at the same time the mother of five children (almost all of whom went on…
For International Women’s Day 2020, we caught up with our very own Professor Louise Walker about her experience as a woman in mathematics. What is your role within the University? I am a Professor at the University; my focus is on teaching and scholarship, mainly geared towards teaching and maths education. This means that I…
In this historical feature we explore Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw (1912-2014) and her influential work. Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw was a mathematician, politician and astronomer. In 1945 Dame Kathleen completed her doctorate at Somerville College, Oxford, on Critical Lattices. She wrote five original research papers that were sufficient for her to earn her DPhil degree without the…
In this historical feature we explore Alan Turing (1912-1954) and his influential work. Alan Turing is considered to be the father of modern computing and artificial intelligence. His concept of the Turing machine is still one of the most widely examined theories of computation. His early work was undertaken at King’s College, Cambridge where he…
Within the new MECD development sits a nod to Manchester’s past. Discover the fascinating history of Oddfellows Hall and its importance to the city.
