Keith Martin Ball facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keith Ball
FRS FRSE
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Ball in 2009
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Keith Martin Ball
26 December 1960 New York City
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| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
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| Thesis | Isometric problems in lp̲ and sections of convex sets (1986) |
| Doctoral advisor | Béla Bollobás |
Keith Martin Ball, born on December 26, 1960, is a smart mathematician and a professor at the University of Warwick in England. He used to be the scientific director for a place called the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) from 2010 to 2014.
Becoming a Mathematician
Keith Ball went to school at Berkhamsted School. Later, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, a famous university. He earned his first degree in mathematics in 1982. In 1987, he completed his PhD, which is a very high degree, with help from his supervisor, Béla Bollobás.
What Keith Ball Studies
Keith Ball's research focuses on several interesting areas of mathematics. These include functional analysis, which looks at functions and spaces. He also studies high-dimensional and discrete geometry, which deals with shapes and spaces in many dimensions. Another field he works on is information theory, which is about how information is measured and sent.
He even wrote a book called Strange Curves, Counting Rabbits, & Other Mathematical Explorations. This book helps explain complex math ideas in a fun way.
Awards and Special Honours
Keith Ball has received many important awards for his work in mathematics.
- In 2012, he was chosen as a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS). This means he is recognized as a leading mathematician in America.
- In 2013, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the United Kingdom.
The Royal Society said that Keith Ball is a very original mathematician. They noted that his work has greatly impacted two areas: functional analysis and information theory. He solved some tough math problems and even showed how a big idea in probability, called the central limit theorem, is like the second law of thermodynamics.
In 2023, he was also elected as a member of the Academia Europaea. This is an organization that brings together top scientists and scholars from across Europe.
