Robert Sinclair MacKay facts for kids

Robert Sinclair MacKay, born in 1956, is a British mathematician. He is a professor at the University of Warwick. He studies how things change over time, like in dynamical systems. His work helps us understand complex systems in science and engineering. This includes areas like physics, engineering, biology, and economics.

Robert MacKay's Education

Robert MacKay went to Newcastle-under-Lyme School until 1974. He then studied mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977. In 1982, he received his PhD from Princeton University. His research was about astrophysics, which is the study of stars and space.

Career and Research Work

From 1982 to 1995, Professor MacKay worked at several universities. These included Queen Mary University of London and the University of Warwick. He also worked at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in France.

In 1995, he became a professor at the University of Cambridge. He studied nonlinear dynamics, which looks at complex systems. He was also the Director of the Nonlinear Centre there. In 2000, he returned to the University of Warwick. He became a Professor of Mathematics.

Awards and Special Honours

Professor MacKay has received several important awards. In 1992, he was given the Stefanos Pnevmatikos International Award. He was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2000. This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK. In 2012, he became the President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Family Life

Robert MacKay was born in 1956. His parents were Donald MacCrimmon MacKay and Valerie MacKay. His younger brother, David J. C. MacKay, was also a famous professor. He taught engineering at the University of Cambridge.