Tony O'Farrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony O'Farrell
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Irish Mathematics Society Annual meeting in Maynooth in 2000. O'Farrell is 4th from right in the front row.
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Anthony G. O'Farrell
1947 (age 78–79) Dublin, Ireland
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | Brown University University College Dublin |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Thesis | Capacities in Uniform Approximation (1973) |
| Doctoral advisor | Brian Cole |
Tony O'Farrell, born Anthony G. O'Farrell in 1947 in Dublin, is a famous Irish mathematician. He is a Professor Emeritus at Maynooth University, which means he has retired but still holds an important title there. He has worked in the Mathematics and Statistics Department at Maynooth since 1975.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Tony O'Farrell was born in Dublin, Ireland. He spent his childhood growing up in both Dublin and the town of Tipperary.
Education and Career Journey
Tony O'Farrell started his higher education at University College Dublin (UCD). In 1967, he earned his Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in mathematical science.
After working for a year at the Irish Meteorological Service, he went back to UCD. He completed his Master of Science (MSc) degree in 1969.
Next, he moved to the United States to study at Brown University. He earned his PhD in 1973. His special research was on "Capacities in Uniform Approximation." His advisor for this work was Brian Cole.
After his PhD, he spent two years at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During this time, he published many important papers.
In 1975, he returned to Ireland. He became a Professor of Mathematics at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. This college later became Maynooth University. He was only 28 years old when he got this job. This was a big deal because he was the first person who was not a priest to be appointed to such a high position at this traditional university.
Involvement with Mathematics Societies
Tony O'Farrell has always been very active in the Irish Mathematical Society. He was the president of the society in 1983 and 1984. Since 2011, he has been the editor of the Bulletin of the IMS, which is a publication for mathematicians.
In 1981, he was chosen to be a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This is a very respected group of experts in science and humanities in Ireland.
From 1992 to 1995, he also led the Computer Science Department at Maynooth.
Logic Press
In 2002, Professor O'Farrell started a publishing company called Logic Press. This company publishes mathematics books for different levels. They publish books in both English and Irish. These books range from guides for the Irish Mathematical Olympiad to textbooks for university students and advanced research books.
He officially retired from Maynooth in 2012. However, he still stays very busy with many projects and activities.
The Hamilton Walk
In 1990, Tony O'Farrell started the yearly Hamilton Walk. This walk celebrates a special discovery made on October 16, 1843. On that day, a famous mathematician named William Rowan Hamilton discovered something called quaternions.
The walk begins at Dunsink Observatory in County Dublin. It then follows the Royal Canal east to a place called Broom Bridge. Over the years, this walk has become very popular. It has even attracted very famous scientists, including Nobel Prize winners and Fields Medallists (who win a top award in mathematics).
Professor O'Farrell's younger colleague, Fiacre Ó Cairbre, took over organizing the walk in the late 1990s. However, Tony O'Farrell still gives a speech at Broom Bridge every year.
In 2018, O'Farrell and Ó Cairbre received the 2018 Maths Week Ireland Award. They won this award for their "outstanding work in raising public awareness of mathematics." This was because they started and helped grow the Hamilton Walk.
Selected Books
Tony O'Farrell has also written several books on mathematics:
- 2015 Analysis Zero, Logic Press
- 2005 Introduction to Maple Programming, Kilcock
- 2015 Reversibility in Dynamics and Group Theory, (with Ian Short), Cambridge University Press (LMS Lecture Note Series 416)
