Nick Trefethen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nick Trefethen
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|---|---|
| Born |
Lloyd Nicholas Trefethen
30 August 1955 |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for | Embree–Trefethen constant |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | one son, one daughter |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Numerical analysis |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Wave Propagation and Stability for Finite Difference Schemes (1982) |
| Doctoral advisor | Joseph E. Oliger |
| Doctoral students | Alan Edelman |
Lloyd Nicholas Trefethen (born August 30, 1955) is an American mathematician. He is a professor of numerical analysis at the University of Oxford. Numerical analysis is a field of math that uses computers to solve complex problems. Until 2023, he led the Numerical Analysis Group at Oxford. In 2025, he became a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nick Trefethen was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 30, 1955. His father, Lloyd M. Trefethen, was a mechanical engineer. His mother, Florence Newman Trefethen, was a codebreaker, poet, and teacher.
He went to Phillips Exeter Academy for high school. Later, he studied at Harvard College, earning his bachelor's degree in 1977. He then went to Stanford University for his master's degree in 1980. He completed his PhD at Stanford in 1982. His research was about how waves move and stay stable in computer models.
Career and Research
After finishing his PhD, Professor Trefethen worked at several famous universities. These included New York University, MIT, and Cornell University. Later, he became a professor at the University of Oxford.
His work covers many areas of math that use computers. He studies how numbers behave in tricky situations, especially with things called "non-normal matrices." These are special kinds of number grids. His research helps solve problems in many fields. For example, it helps with how fluids move, how to solve math problems with computers, and even how to shuffle cards.
Professor Trefethen has written several important books about numerical analysis. These include Numerical Linear Algebra and Spectral Methods in MATLAB. He also leads a computer software project called Chebfun. This project helps people solve math problems using the MATLAB program.
In 2013, he suggested a new way to calculate a person's BMI. BMI is a measure that tells you if your weight is healthy for your height. His formula is:
This formula uses the International System of Units for weight and height.
Books by Nick Trefethen
Professor Trefethen has written many books that are used by students and researchers. Some of his well-known books include:
- Numerical Linear Algebra (1997)
- Spectral Methods in Matlab (2000)
- Spectra and Pseudospectra: The Behavior of Nonnormal Matrices and Operators (2005)
- Approximation Theory and Approximation Practice (2013 and 2020)
Awards and Honors
Professor Trefethen has received many awards for his work in mathematics. He was the first person to win the Leslie Fox Prize for Numerical Analysis in 1985. In 1998, he was invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians.
He is a member of the American Mathematical Society. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering in the United States. In 2005, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in the UK. This is a very high honor for scientists.
In 2010, he received the IMA Gold Medal from the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. This award recognized his amazing contributions to math over many years. He also won the Naylor Prize in Applied Mathematics in 2013. In 2017, he received the George Pólya Prize for Mathematical Exposition. In 2020, he was awarded the John von Neumann Prize.
Personal Life
Professor Trefethen has one son and one daughter. They are from his first marriage to Anne Elizabeth Trefethen. He is currently married to Kate McLoughlin. She is a professor of English Literature at Oxford.
