E. Brian Davies facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Davies
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Davies in 2016
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| Born |
Edward Brian Davies
1945 |
| Died | (aged 80) |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Oxford (Ph.D., 1965) |
| Awards | Senior Berwick Prize (1998) Pólya Prize (2011) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Oxford King's College London |
| Doctoral advisor | David Edwards |
| Doctoral students | David E. Evans |
Edward Brian Davies (1945 – 2 June 2025) was a brilliant British mathematician. He was a professor of Mathematics at King's College London for many years, from 1981 to 2010. He also wrote a popular book called Science in the Looking Glass: What do Scientists Really Know. In 2010, he received a special award called the Gauss Lecture from the German Mathematical Society. Brian Davies passed away on June 2, 2025, when he was 80 years old.
Contents
Who Was Brian Davies?
Brian Davies was born in 1945. He loved mathematics from a young age. He studied at St John's College, Oxford, which is a famous university. There, he earned his Ph.D. in 1965. A Ph.D. is a very high degree that shows someone is an expert in their field. His main teacher, or "doctoral advisor," was David Edwards.
A Career in Mathematics
After finishing his studies, Brian Davies became a professor. This means he taught mathematics at universities and also did his own research. He worked at the University of Oxford and later became a professor at King's College London. He taught many students and helped them learn about complex math ideas. One of his students, David E. Evans, also became a well-known mathematician.
His Book: Science in the Looking Glass
Brian Davies wrote a book called Science in the Looking Glass: What do Scientists Really Know. This book is known as a "popular science" book. This means it was written for everyone, not just for scientists. It helped people understand how science works and what scientists truly know about the world. He wanted to share the excitement of scientific discovery with a wider audience.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout his career, Brian Davies received several important awards for his work in mathematics. These awards showed how much his contributions were valued by other mathematicians.
Senior Berwick Prize
In 1998, he was given the Senior Berwick Prize. This award is given by the London Mathematical Society to mathematicians who have done excellent work in a specific area of mathematics. It's a big honor in the math world.
Pólya Prize
Later, in 2011, Brian Davies received the Pólya Prize, also from the London Mathematical Society. This prize is for outstanding creativity in mathematics. It shows that his ideas were not only correct but also very original and clever.
Gauss Lecture
In 2010, the German Mathematical Society invited him to give a Gauss Lecture. This is a special lecture series named after Carl Friedrich Gauss, one of the greatest mathematicians in history. Being asked to give a Gauss Lecture is a huge recognition of a mathematician's importance and influence.
