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Caroline Series

Portrait photograph of Professor Caroline Series, FRS
Series in 2016
Born (1951-03-24) 24 March 1951 (age 74)
Oxford, England
Education Oxford High School for Girls
Alma mater
Parent(s)
Awards
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
Thesis Ergodic action of product groups (1976)
Doctoral advisor George Mackey
Doctoral students Ralf J. Spatzier

Caroline Mary Series is an amazing English mathematician. She was born on March 24, 1951. She is famous for her work in special areas of math like hyperbolic geometry, Kleinian groups, and dynamical systems.

Early Life and School

Caroline Series
Caroline in 1976

Caroline Series grew up in Oxford, England. Her parents were Annette and George Series. She went to Oxford High School for Girls.

In 1969, she started studying at Somerville College, Oxford. She earned her first degree in Mathematics in 1972. She even won a special math prize from the university!

After Oxford, she received a Kennedy Scholarship. This allowed her to study at Harvard University in the United States starting in 1972. She earned her Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in 1976. Her Ph.D. research was about "Ergodic action of product groups."

Career and Discoveries

After finishing her studies, Caroline Series worked at several universities. In 1976, she was a teacher at the University of California, Berkeley. Then, in 1977, she became a research fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge.

In 1978, she joined the University of Warwick. She started as a lecturer, then became a reader in 1987, and finally a full professor in 1992. From 1999 to 2004, she was a Senior Research Fellow at Warwick. This meant she focused mostly on her research.

Exploring Geometry and Patterns

In the 1970s, Caroline Series found cool ways to show how patterns repeat in special kinds of geometry. She looked at how dynamical systems work in two-dimensional hyperbolic geometry. This involved studying things like continued fractions.

Later, she explored similar, often fractal, geometric patterns in three-dimensional hyperbolic spaces. Fractals are amazing shapes that look the same no matter how much you zoom in. She worked with Kleinian groups, which are like the rules for how these patterns repeat.

She used computers to create images of these complex patterns. These images helped her write a book called Indra's Pearls with David Mumford and David Wright. This book took over ten years to complete! She also worked with other mathematicians like Linda Keen and Joan Birman.

Leadership in Mathematics

Caroline Series has also been a leader in the math world. From 2017 to 2019, she was the president of the London Mathematical Society. She was only the third woman to hold this important position.

Today, she is an emeritus professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick. This means she is retired but still connected to the university and her research.

Awards and Recognition

Caroline Series has received many awards for her important work in mathematics.

  • In 1987, she won the Junior Whitehead Prize from the London Mathematical Society.
  • In 1986, she was an invited speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Berkeley. This is a very big honor in the math community.
  • She was a founding member of European Women in Mathematics (EWM) in 1986. This group helps support women in math.
  • In 2013, she was chosen as a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society.
  • In 2016, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the oldest and most respected scientific organizations in the world.
  • In 2017, she was elected to the Academia Europaea.
  • In 2021, she received the David Crighton Medal from the London Mathematical Society.

In 2023, Caroline Series was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special award from the King of the United Kingdom for her great contributions to mathematics.

Personal Life

Caroline Series is the daughter of the famous physicist George Series.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Caroline Series para niños

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