Peter Swinnerton-Dyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer
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Peter Swinnerton-Dyer at the workshop
"Explicit methods in number theory" in Oberwolfach, 2007 |
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| Born |
Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer
2 August 1927 |
| Died | 26 December 2018 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Known for | Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture |
| Awards | Pólya Prize (2006) Sylvester Medal (2006) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
| Doctoral advisors | John Littlewood André Weil |
| Doctoral students | Jean-Louis Colliot-Thélène Miles Reid |
Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer was a famous English mathematician. His full name was Sir Henry Peter Francis Swinnerton-Dyer, 16th Baronet. He was born on August 2, 1927, and passed away on December 26, 2018.
He spent his career at the University of Cambridge. There, he focused on a special area of math called number theory. He is most famous for his work on the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture. This is a very important math problem.
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About Peter Swinnerton-Dyer
Peter Swinnerton-Dyer was known for his smart ideas. He was a very talented mathematician. His work helped us understand numbers better.
His Work in Number Theory
Number theory is a branch of mathematics. It studies whole numbers and their properties. Peter Swinnerton-Dyer made big contributions to this field. He explored complex ideas about numbers.
The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture
One of his most important achievements was the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture. He worked on this with Bryan Birch. This conjecture is about elliptic curves. These are special shapes in math. The conjecture tries to link properties of these curves to certain math values. It is still one of the biggest unsolved problems in mathematics.
Beyond Pure Math
Peter Swinnerton-Dyer also worked on computers. He helped with the Titan operating system. This was a computer system. It showed his skills went beyond just pure math.
A Champion Bridge Player
Outside of his math work, Peter Swinnerton-Dyer had another talent. He was an international bridge player. Bridge is a card game. He played for the British team twice. This was in the European Open teams championship. He competed in 1953 and again in 1962. This shows he was good at strategy and thinking.
