Tom Bridgeland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Bridgeland
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Thomas Andrew Bridgeland
1973 (age 51–52) |
| Education | Shelley High School |
| Alma mater | |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Fourier-Mukai transforms for surfaces and moduli spaces of stable sheaves (2002) |
| Doctoral advisor | Antony Maciocia |
Thomas Andrew Bridgeland (born 1973) is a smart mathematician. He is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. He is known for his important work in a field of math called algebraic geometry.
Contents
What is Algebraic Geometry?
Algebraic geometry is a part of mathematics that uses tools from algebra to solve problems in geometry. Imagine you have shapes like circles or cubes. In algebraic geometry, mathematicians describe these shapes using equations. Then, they use algebra to study the properties of these shapes. It helps us understand complex shapes and spaces.
Bridgeland's Big Ideas
Professor Bridgeland is famous for something called "Bridgeland stability conditions." This is a special way to look at and organize certain mathematical objects. Think of it like creating a new system to sort and understand very complicated puzzles. His ideas help mathematicians study and compare different kinds of shapes and spaces in new ways.
His work has helped connect different areas of math. It even links to ideas in theoretical physics, especially about tiny particles and how they behave.
His Journey in Math
Early Life and School
Thomas Bridgeland was born in 1973. He went to Shelley High School in Huddersfield, England.
University Studies
After high school, he went to Christ's College, Cambridge, which is part of the famous University of Cambridge. There, he studied advanced mathematics. He earned a top degree in math in 1994.
He then continued his studies at the University of Edinburgh. He completed his PhD there in 2002. A PhD is the highest degree you can get in a subject, showing you are an expert.
Where He Has Worked
Professor Bridgeland has worked at several important universities. He has been a researcher at Christ's College, Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh. He also worked at All Souls College, Oxford. Today, he is a professor at the University of Sheffield.
Awards and Recognition
Professor Bridgeland's important work has earned him several awards:
- He won the Berwick Prize in 2003.
- He received the Adams Prize in 2007.
- In 2014, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- He was also invited to speak at a big international meeting for mathematicians in Madrid in 2006. This shows how respected his work is around the world.
