Professor Robert A Wilson |
|
| Address : | School of Mathematical Sciences Queen Mary, University of London Mile End Road London E1 4NS |
| Office : | Maths G51 |
| Office hours: | Monday 1.30-2.30; Thursday 3.30-4.30. |
| Telephone : | +44 (0)20 7882 5496 |
| School Fax : | +44 (0)20 8981 9587 |
| Email Address : | R.A.Wilson [add AT qmul DOT ac DOT uk] |
I have been a professor of pure mathematics in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Queen Mary, University of London, since September 2004.
My inaugural lecture took place on 2/4/8 (aka Wednesday 2nd April 2008), at 5.30 pm in the Mathematics Lecture Theatre. You can view the invitation, the slides and the prepared text of the talk (not quite the same as what I actually said), and listen to the musical interlude (aka the first movement of the Moonshine Sonata by Beethoven).
The Council of the LMS has three main purposes:
On the second point, my view is that what we the members chiefly value in the LMS are (a) the publications: newsletters, journals, book series, and (b) the small grant schemes, which provide incredible value for money. This is the core business of the LMS, which must be safeguarded at all costs. This is particularly important in a time of recession (which, despite newspaper headlines, will be with us for years to come): when cuts are needed, they must fall much more heavily on peripheral activities and non-essential administration.
Of course, other activities of the LMS are also important, particularly representing mathematics to government and the general public. Here it is vital that the LMS promulgates an informed opinion, which should be as far as possible consonant with the views of members, and not necessarily with the views of other organisations. For example, it should not have been possible for the LMS to sign up to the joint LMS-IMA press statement on the proposed Use of Mathematics A-level. It is no use `speaking with one voice' if that voice is giving out the wrong message.
The third point is legally the most important, as, under charity law, Trustees (which includes Council members) can be held individually liable for actions of the Society. Recent events suggest that governance of the Society is under strain, and some effort needs to be put in to strengthen the connections between the various parts of the Society. There seems to be a tendency for the Executive to become out of touch with the views of ordinary members, which needs to be addressed.
Atlas of Group Representations
at brauer.maths.qmul.ac.uk/Atlas/,
or if that does not work, try the old version
in Birmingham.
There is also an experimental Version 3
which you may find easier to use: feedback appreciated!
(Development, enhancement and maintenance by Simon Nickerson, John Bray, Richard Barraclough and myself.)
The following notes and/or slides are from a few of my talks given in a variety of places during recent years.
My publication list according to MathSciNet.
For preprints and other information see separate publications page in preparation.Atlas of Finite Groups by JHConway, RTCurtis, SPNorton,
RAParker and RAWilson (1985). Reprint with corrections (2004)
published by Oxford University Press.
Details can be found on the
OUP website here. Price £79.00.
Graphs, colourings and the four-colour
theorem
published by Oxford University Press
2002. Details can be found on the
OUP website here
. Price £27.00 paperback and £47.00 hardback. 
This page is maintained by Robert Wilson. The
views and opinions expressed in these pages are mine. The contents of
these pages have not been reviewed or approved by Queen Mary, University
of London.
