Frances Kirwan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Kirwan
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Kirwan in 2009
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| Born | 21 August 1959 UK
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge University of Oxford |
| Awards | Whitehead Prize (1989) Senior Whitehead Prize (2013) Suffrage Science award (2016) Sylvester Medal of The Royal Society(2021) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Oxford |
| Thesis | The Cohomology of Quotients in Symplectic and Algebraic Geometry |
| Doctoral advisor | Michael Atiyah |
Dame Frances Clare Kirwan (born 21 August 1959) is a British mathematician. She is a professor at the University of Oxford. Her main areas of study are algebraic geometry and symplectic geometry. These are advanced types of mathematics that deal with shapes and spaces.
Her Journey in Education
Frances Kirwan went to Oxford High School. She then studied maths at Clare College at the University of Cambridge. Later, she earned her D.Phil. (a very high university degree, like a PhD) from the University of Oxford in 1984. Her research for this degree was about complex shapes and how they relate to algebra. Her supervisor was the famous mathematician Michael Atiyah.
What She Researches
Professor Kirwan's work helps us understand the structure of geometric objects. She looks at their algebraic and topological properties. Topology is a branch of maths that studies shapes and spaces. She also developed something called the Kirwan map, which is an important tool in her field.
From 1983 to 1985, she was a junior fellow at Harvard University in the USA. She then held fellowships at Magdalen College, Oxford and Balliol College, Oxford. She is now an honorary fellow at both Clare College and Magdalen College.
In 1996, she became a Professor of Mathematics. From 2004 to 2006, she was the president of the London Mathematical Society. She was one of the youngest presidents ever and only the second woman to hold this important role. In 2005, she received a special research grant to support her work on complex algebraic curves.
In 2017, she made history by becoming the first woman to be elected Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford. This is a very old and respected position. She also helped organize meetings for European Women in Mathematics.
Awards and Recognitions
Frances Kirwan has received many important awards for her work:
- Whitehead Prize from the London Mathematical Society in 1989.
- Became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001. This is a very high honor for scientists.
- President of the London Mathematical Society from 2003 to 2005.
- Received a Senior Research Fellowship from EPSRC (a UK research council) from 2005 to 2010.
- Became a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012.
- Received the Senior Whitehead Prize from the London Mathematical Society in 2013.
- Awarded the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2014 for her services to mathematics. This is a special honor given by the Queen.
- Received a Maths and Computing Suffrage Science award in 2016.
- Became a member of Academia Europaea.
- Chairman of the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust.
- Received the Sylvester Medal from The Royal Society in 2021.
- Received honorary degrees from the University of York (2020) and the University of St Andrews (2022).
- Received the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards (Laureate for Europe – Mathematics) in 2023.
Professor Kirwan was also part of the committee that chose Maryam Mirzakhani for the Fields Medal. This is one of the most important awards in mathematics.
See also
In Spanish: Frances Kirwan para niños
