John G. Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Thompson
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Thompson in 2007
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John Griggs Thompson
October 13, 1932 Ottawa, Kansas, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Yale University (BA) University of Chicago (PhD) |
| Awards | Cole Prize (1965) Fields Medal (1970) Fellow of the Royal Society (1979) Senior Berwick Prize (1982) Sylvester Medal (1985) Wolf Prize (1992) Médaille Poincaré (1992) National Medal of Science (2000) Abel Prize (2008) De Morgan Medal (2013) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Group theory |
| Institutions | Harvard University (1961–62) University of Chicago (1962–68) University of Cambridge (1968–93) University of Florida (1993–) |
| Thesis | A Proof that a Finite Group with a Fixed-Point-Free Automorphism of Prime Order is Nilpotent (1959) |
| Doctoral advisor | Saunders Mac Lane |
| Doctoral students | R. L. Griess Richard Lyons Charles Sims Nick Patterson |
John Griggs Thompson (born October 13, 1932) is a famous American mathematician. He is known for his important work with finite groups, which are special kinds of mathematical structures. He has received many top awards for his discoveries, including the Fields Medal in 1970, the Wolf Prize in 1992, and the Abel Prize in 2008.
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About John Thompson
John Thompson was born in Ottawa, Kansas, in the United States. He loved learning and went to Yale University, where he earned his first degree in 1955. Later, he continued his studies at the University of Chicago, getting his advanced degree (a doctorate) in 1959. His teacher there was another famous mathematician named Saunders Mac Lane.
After finishing his studies, Thompson taught at the University of Chicago for a while. Then, in 1970, he moved to England to teach at the University of Cambridge. He later returned to the United States to teach at the University of Florida. Today, he is a professor emeritus (which means he has retired but still holds an honorary position) at Cambridge and continues to be a professor at the University of Florida.
Amazing Math Discoveries
John Thompson's work mainly focuses on a part of mathematics called group theory. Groups are like collections of things that can be combined in a special way, like numbers that you can add or multiply. Finite groups are groups that have a limited number of items in them.
Solving Old Math Problems
For his doctorate, Thompson solved a very old problem in finite group theory that had puzzled mathematicians for about 60 years! This big achievement was even mentioned in The New York Times.
Classifying Simple Groups
One of Thompson's most important contributions was helping to classify finite simple groups. Think of simple groups as the "building blocks" for all other finite groups. It's like trying to find all the basic LEGO bricks before you can build anything else.
- The Feit–Thompson Theorem: In 1963, Thompson worked with another mathematician, Walter Feit. They proved that all non-simple finite groups that are not "abelian" (a special type of group) must have an even "order" (which is the number of elements in the group). This was a huge breakthrough and filled an entire issue of a math journal! This work earned them the Cole Prize in Algebra.
- N-group Papers: Thompson also classified certain types of finite simple groups called "N-groups." This work helped to identify all "minimal finite simple groups," which are simple groups where all their smaller parts are "solvable" (another special math property). His discoveries were very important for the larger project of classifying all finite simple groups.
The Thompson Group
Thompson even has a special group named after him, called the Thompson group (Th). This group is one of 26 very rare and unusual finite simple groups known as sporadic groups. These groups are like unique gems in the world of mathematics.
Galois Theory Contributions
He also made big steps in something called the inverse Galois problem. This problem connects group theory to equations. Thompson found a way to tell if a finite group could be a "Galois group," which helped show that even the huge "monster simple group" (the largest sporadic group) can be a Galois group.
Awards and Honors
John Thompson has received many prestigious awards for his groundbreaking work in mathematics:
- In 1965, he won the Cole Prize in Algebra.
- In 1970, he was awarded the Fields Medal, often called the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics."
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1979.
- In 1982, he received the Senior Berwick Prize.
- The Sylvester Medal was awarded to him in 1985.
- In 1992, he received the Wolf Prize in Mathematics.
- He was given the National Medal of Science in the United States in 2000.
- In 2008, he shared the Abel Prize, another very high honor in mathematics.
- He also received the De Morgan Medal in 2013.
Thompson is also a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
See also
In Spanish: John Griggs Thompson para niños
- Feit–Thompson theorem
- McKay–Thompson series
- Quadratic pair
- Thompson factorization
- Thompson order formula
- Thompson subgroup
- Thompson transitivity theorem
- Thompson uniqueness theorem
