Ivan Smith (mathematician) facts for kids

Ivan Smith (born 1973) is a British mathematician. He studies special shapes and spaces in math. His work connects these shapes to other areas of math. These include how shapes are described using algebra, and how spaces are put together in different dimensions. He is a professor at the University of Cambridge.

About Ivan Smith's Life and Work

Early Life and Education

Ivan Smith was born in 1973. His father, Neil Smith, was also a professor. He taught about language at University College London.

Ivan Smith went to the University of Oxford for his studies. In 1999, he earned his highest degree, called a doctorate. For this, he wrote a big research paper, or "thesis." It was titled Symplectic Geometry of Lefschetz Fibrations. His teacher for this project was Simon Donaldson.

His Work in Mathematics

Today, Professor Smith teaches at the University of Cambridge. He works at Gonville & Caius College there. He is known for his work in an area of math called symplectic topology. This field looks at special kinds of geometric spaces.

Professor Smith has received important awards for his work. In 2007, he won the Whitehead Prize. This award recognized his research in symplectic topology. It showed how he used ideas from different math areas.

In 2013, he also received the Adams Prize. In 2018, he was asked to speak at a very important meeting. This was the International Congress of Mathematicians in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2023, Ivan Smith was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a big honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.