The London Mathematical Society (LMS) would like to extend its congratulations to Professor Simon Donaldson FRS (Imperial College, London) on receiving a knighthood in the New Year Honours list. It is a hugely inspiring award and Professor Donaldson richly deserves the honour for his contribution to mathematics. The LMS would like to wish him continuing success in his future work
Dr Graeme Segal FRS, President of the London Mathematical Society, said, ‘Simon Donaldson revolutionised geometry in the 1980s by applying the Yang-Mills equations – the nonlinear partial differential equations that describe the ‘strong interactions’ in particle physics – to the study of four-dimensional manifolds. It was a completely startling development, which settled long-standing questions and opened up whole new areas of progress. He has continued to lead the field ever since, and has supervised and inspired an enormous number of graduate students who have come from all over the world to work with him, as well as many more senior mathematicians. I can think of no-one more deserving of a knighthood’.
The LMS would also like to congratulate Ursula Martin, Professor of Computer Science, Queen Mary, University of London on her award of a CBE 'for services to computer science'. Professor Martin has had a distinguished career, including becoming the first female professor in the history of St Andrew’s University. She is a mathematics graduate and a member of the London Mathematical Society, having been actively involved for a number of years. She has served on both Council and the Women in Mathematics Committee and has also previously chaired the LMS Computer Science Committee.