Jillian Beardwood facts for kids

Jillian Beardwood (1934–2019) was a British mathematician. She is well-known for the Beardwood-Halton-Hammersley Theorem. This important math rule was published in 1959. It helps solve a famous puzzle called the "travelling salesman problem." The theorem gives a way to figure out the shortest path. This path is for someone who starts at one place, visits many other spots, and then comes back home.

Early Life and Education

Jillian Beardwood was born in Norwich, England, in 1934. She went to The Blyth School for Girls. After that, she studied mathematics at St. Hugh's College, Oxford. She earned top honors and a master’s degree in 1956.

Working with Numbers and Computers

After finishing university, Beardwood started working. She joined the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). This was a new organization at the time. She was one of only four students chosen to work with Professor John Hammersley.

While at UKAEA, Beardwood got to use powerful early computers. These included the Ferranti Mercury computer at Harwell. She also used the ILLIAC II computer in the United States. Later, she became a Senior Scientific Officer. She focused on something called "Monte Carlo methods." These are ways to solve problems using random numbers. She also worked on algorithms. These are like step-by-step instructions for computers. Her work helped model complex shapes and situations.

The Travelling Salesman Problem Solved

What is the Travelling Salesman Problem?

Imagine a salesman who needs to visit many cities. He starts at his home city and must visit every other city exactly once. Then, he has to return home. The big question is: What is the shortest possible route?

If there are only a few cities, it's easy to list all possible routes. But if there are many cities, the number of routes becomes huge. It's almost impossible to calculate every single one. This makes finding the shortest path very difficult.

The Beardwood-Halton-Hammersley Theorem

The Beardwood-Halton-Hammersley Theorem offers a smart solution. It provides a simple formula to estimate the shortest path. This formula works especially well when there are many cities or points to visit. It means you don't have to calculate every single route.

This theorem showed that for many points, the shortest path behaves in a predictable way. It doesn't matter if the points are fixed or random. This discovery was very important. Experts like David L. Applegate have called it a "famous result." The theorem is used in many fields. These include probability theory (the study of chance), physics, and computer science.

Later Work in Transport

After leaving UKAEA in 1968, Beardwood worked for the UK government. She joined the Road Research Laboratory. There, she helped plan how transport systems should work.

In 1973, she moved to the Greater London Council (GLC). She led a team that studied transport. Her team helped plan the M25 motorway. This is a large highway that goes around London. They also worked on early ideas for "congestion pricing." This is a system where drivers pay to use roads during busy times.

One of Beardwood's most important studies was called "Roads Generate Traffic." Her research showed that building more roads can actually make traffic worse. She found that more roads often encourage people to stop using public transport. Instead, they choose to drive cars. Her work correctly predicted that the M25 motorway would quickly become too busy. Her research is still used today. It supports ideas that encourage people to use bikes or other ways to travel instead of cars.