Ian Stewart (mathematician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ian Stewart
FRS CMath FIMA
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Stewart in 2017
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Ian Nicholas Stewart
24 September 1945 |
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| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Warwick |
| Thesis | Subideals of Lie algebras (1969) |
| Doctoral advisor | Brian Hartley |
Ian Nicholas Stewart is a famous British mathematician and writer. He is known for making mathematics fun and easy to understand for everyone. He also writes science fiction stories. He used to be a professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick in England.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ian Stewart was born in 1945 in Folkestone, England. Even when he was young, his math teachers noticed he was very good at numbers. He was so good that he took advanced math exams without studying and still got the top score!
He earned a scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge. There, he got a first-class degree in mathematics in 1966. Later, he went to the University of Warwick to get his PhD. He finished his PhD in 1969, focusing on a complex area of math called Lie algebras.
Career and Research in Mathematics
After finishing his PhD, Ian Stewart started teaching at the University of Warwick. He became very well-known for explaining difficult math ideas in simple ways. He also worked on something called catastrophe theory, which studies how small changes can lead to big, sudden shifts.
Writing for Everyone
While at Warwick, Stewart helped edit a math magazine called Manifold. He also wrote a popular column called "Mathematical Recreations" for Scientific American magazine. In these columns, he shared fun math puzzles and ideas. He wrote 96 columns, and many of them were later turned into books like "Math Hysteria" and "How to Cut a Cake".
He also visited and taught at universities in other countries. These included Germany, New Zealand, and the United States.
Stewart has written many scientific papers. Some of his important work was with Jim Collins. They wrote about how different parts of a system work together, like how animals move.
Working with Terry Pratchett
Ian Stewart worked with biologist Jack Cohen and famous author Terry Pratchett. They wrote four popular science books based on Pratchett's Discworld fantasy world. These books explain science in a fun way using the Discworld setting. Because of this work, Terry Pratchett made both Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen "Honorary Wizards of the Unseen University."
In 2014, Ian Stewart launched an iPad app called "Incredible Numbers by Professor Ian Stewart." It helps people explore amazing math concepts.
Books on Mathematics and Science
Ian Stewart has written many books that make math and science exciting. Here are some of them:
- Concepts of Modern Mathematics (1975)
- Does God Play Dice? The New Mathematics of Chaos (1989)
- The Collapse of Chaos: Discovering Simplicity in a Complex World (1995), with Jack Cohen
- Nature's Numbers: The Unreal Reality of Mathematics (1995)
- What is Mathematics? (1996), a revised edition of a classic book
- From Here to Infinity (1996)
- Figments of Reality (1997), with Jack Cohen
- The Magical Maze: Seeing the World Through Mathematical Eyes (1998)
- Flatterland (2001), a fun book about different dimensions
- Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life (2002), with Jack Cohen
- Math Hysteria (2004)
- Letters to a Young Mathematician (2006)
- How to Cut a Cake: And Other Mathematical Conundrums (2006)
- Why Beauty Is Truth: A History of Symmetry (2007)
- Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities (2008)
- The Mathematics of Life (2011)
- In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World (2012)
- Calculating the Cosmos: How Mathematics Unveils the Universe (2016)
- Significant Figures: The Lives and Work of Great Mathematicians (2017)
- Do Dice Play God? The Mathematics of Uncertainty (2019)
- What's the use ?: How mathematics shapes everyday life? (2021)
Computer Programming Books
Ian Stewart also wrote books about computer programming, especially for early home computers.
- Easy Programming for the ZX Spectrum (1982), with Robin Jones
- Computer Puzzles For Spectrum & ZX81 (1982), with Robin Jones
Science of Discworld Series
These books combine science facts with the fantasy world of Terry Pratchett's Discworld.
- The Science of Discworld, with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett
- The Science of Discworld II: The Globe, with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett
- The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch, with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett
- The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day, with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett
Awards and Honours
Ian Stewart has received many awards for his work.
- In 1995, he won the Michael Faraday Medal for making science popular.
- In 1997, he gave the famous Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on "The Magical Maze."
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001, which is a very high honour for scientists.
- In 2008, he was the first person to receive the Christopher Zeeman Medal. This award is given for helping people understand and enjoy mathematics.
Personal Life
Ian Stewart married Avril in 1970. They have two sons. He enjoys many hobbies, including science fiction, painting, playing the guitar, keeping fish, studying geology, learning about ancient Egypt, and snorkelling.
