Martin T. Barlow facts for kids
Martin Thomas Barlow is a famous British mathematician. He was born in London on June 16, 1953. Since 1992, he has been a professor of mathematics at the University of British Columbia in Canada. He is known for his work in probability and fractal sets.
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Early Life and Education
Martin Barlow's father was Andrew Dalmahoy Barlow. His grandmother, Nora Barlow, was the granddaughter of the famous scientist Charles Darwin. This means Martin Barlow is a great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin! His uncle, Horace Barlow, was also a well-known scientist.
Martin Barlow went to Sussex House School and St Paul's School, London. He then studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and the University College of Swansea. He earned his PhD from the University College of Swansea.
Career in Mathematics
After finishing his studies, Martin Barlow worked as a research fellow at the University of Liverpool from 1978 to 1980. He was also a Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge for many years, from 1979 to 1992.
He worked at the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge and was a Royal Society University Research Fellow. This fellowship is a special award that helps scientists focus on their research. In 1992, he moved to Canada to become a professor at the University of British Columbia.
What He Studies
Professor Barlow's main interests in mathematics include:
- Probability: This is the study of how likely events are to happen. For example, what are the chances of flipping a coin and getting heads?
- Brownian motion: This describes the random movement of tiny particles in a fluid. Think of dust particles dancing in a sunbeam.
- Fractal sets: These are complex shapes that look the same no matter how much you zoom in. Nature is full of fractals, like snowflakes or coastlines.
He has also guided many students who went on to become mathematicians themselves. One of his doctoral students was Steven N. Evans.
Awards and Honors
Martin Barlow has received many important awards for his work:
- In 1984, he won the Rollo Davidson Prize.
- He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1998. This is a big honor for Canadian scholars and artists.
- In 2005, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the oldest and most respected scientific organizations in the world.
- He was also named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012.
- In 2018, the Canadian Mathematical Society recognized him as one of their first fellows.
External links
- Academic homepage
