Maths researchers receive distinguished awards

Wednesday, 17 November 2004

Maths researchers receive distinguished awards

The University of Auckland's Department of Maths is celebrating the success of two its researchers.

Professor Boris Pavlov was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand's prestigious Science Academy, and Associate Professor Eamonn O'Brien was awarded the New Zealand Mathematical Society (NZMS) Research Award at a Science Honours dinner in Christchurch tonight.

Faculty of Science Dean Professor Dick Bellamy says the Faculty is delighted with the researchers' achievement.

"Professor Pavlov and Associate Professor O'Brien's achievements are testament to the quality of their work and a reflection of the research and teaching strength within our Mathematics Department," says Professor Bellamy.

Professor Pavlov is one of 12 new fellows elected by the Royal Society through a rigorous selection process, involving discipline-specific selection panels and independent international review.

In conferring the Fellowship, the President of the Royal Society Academy Council, Professor Carolyn Burns, acknowledged that four of the 12 elected fellows represented the mathematical field.

"Concerns have been expressed over the past decade about declining mathematical skills among young New Zealanders. Therefore, it is very pleasing to see the importance of pure and applied mathematics to research, industry and the advancement of knowledge," says Professor Burns.

Professor Pavlov received the Fellowship for penetrating investigations in mathematical physics, which have led to significant advances in spectral and functional analysis and the theory of Riesz bases.

His international standing is evident through many fellowships and prestigious visiting positions at institutions in Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, Austria, Israel and Japan.

Associate Professor O'Brien specialises in group theory and computational algebra.

His award recognises his contribution to the knowledge base on finitely-presented groups, and structural exploration of matrix groups.

ENDS

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