Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge

Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge
Name	Faculty of Mathematics
Established	1748 (as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics chair)
Parent	University of Cambridge
Head	Markus Owen
Location	Cambridge, England
Website	https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/

Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge. The faculty is one of the world's leading centres for mathematical research and education, with a history deeply intertwined with the development of modern science. It administers the prestigious undergraduate Mathematical Tripos and encompasses the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics and the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. Its members have been awarded numerous accolades including the Fields Medal, the Abel Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Physics.

History

The origins of formal mathematical study at Cambridge can be traced to the foundation of the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics chair in 1663, with Isaac Barrow as its first holder. His successor, Isaac Newton, used the position to develop his revolutionary work on calculus, Newton's laws of motion, and the law of universal gravitation, fundamentally shaping the Scientific Revolution. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, figures like George Green and Arthur Cayley made seminal contributions. The faculty in its modern form was consolidated in the 20th century, with the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy founded by Fred Hoyle later merging into its structure. The creation of the Centre for Mathematical Sciences in the early 21st century provided a unified home for its departments.

Organisation and structure

The faculty is led by a Head of Department and overseen by the Faculty Board. Its primary academic divisions are the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics and the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. It works closely with allied institutions such as the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences and the Statistical Laboratory. The faculty also maintains strong links with King's College, Trinity College, and St John's College, where many of its fellows are based. Administrative support is coordinated through the faculty office located at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences.

Academic programmes

The flagship programme is the Mathematical Tripos, a demanding undergraduate course divided into Parts IA, IB, II, and III, the latter being considered a master's-level qualification. The faculty also offers the Master of Advanced Study in Mathematics, a one-year taught master's course. Doctoral research is pursued through the PhD in Mathematics, with students often based in one of the faculty's research groups. Many students participate in the annual Putnam Competition and the International Mathematical Olympiad. Preparation for the Tripos involves supervisions at colleges like Peterhouse and Gonville and Caius College.

Research and centres

Research spans pure mathematics, statistics, theoretical physics, and applied mathematics. The faculty hosts the internationally renowned Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, which organises research programmes on topics from string theory to number theory. The DAMTP is famous for work on general relativity and cosmology, historically associated with Stephen Hawking. Other key centres include the Cambridge Centre for Analysis and the Statistical Laboratory. Major collaborative projects involve CERN, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, and the Alan Turing Institute. Research areas extend from quantum field theory and fluid dynamics to probability and combinatorics.

Notable people

The faculty's history is distinguished by an extraordinary roster of scholars. Past holders of the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics chair include Isaac Newton, Charles Babbage, Paul Dirac, and Stephen Hawking. Other eminent figures include G. H. Hardy, John Edensor Littlewood, and Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose collaboration is legendary. Michael Atiyah made profound contributions to geometry and topology. Living luminaries include Timothy Gowers, winner of the Fields Medal, and Cédric Villani. Notable alumni span fields from economics, like John Maynard Keynes, to computing, such as Charles Babbage and Maurice Wilkes.

Buildings and facilities

Since 2002, the faculty has been primarily housed in the purpose-built Centre for Mathematical Sciences on Clarkson Road in the West Cambridge site. The complex, known colloquially as the "Maths Centre," consists of a central pavilion surrounded by six distinct wings, designed by Edward Cullinan Architects. Key facilities include the Milner Library, which holds extensive mathematical collections, and the Greenwich House lecture theatres. The site also contains the Isaac Newton Institute. Previously, departments were dispersed in locations like the Old Cavendish Laboratory and the Institute of Astronomy. The Cambridge University Library provides additional crucial research resources.

Category:University of Cambridge Category:Mathematics education in the United Kingdom