Robin Wilson

Robin James Wilson, born on 5 December 1943, is an English mathematician. He holds the title of emeritus professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Open University, where he formerly served as Head of the Pure Mathematics Department and Dean of the Faculty. Wilson has also been a stipendiary lecturer at Pembroke College, Oxford, and served as Gresham Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London, from 2004 to 2008. Additionally, he occasionally teaches at Colorado College in the United States. Wilson is a long-standing fellow of Keble College, Oxford.

Family and Early Life:

Wilson is the son of Harold Wilson, who later became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and his wife, Mary Wilson (née Baldwin), a poet. He has a younger brother named Giles, who, in his 50s, transitioned from a career in teaching to become a train driver. Robin Wilson was born in 1943 and attended University College School in Hampstead, North London.

Education:

Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with First Class Honours in Mathematics from Balliol College, University of Oxford. He then obtained both a Master of Arts and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania between 1965 and 1968.

Mathematical Career:

Wilson's research interests include graph theory, particularly coloring problems such as the four color problem, as well as algebraic properties of graphs. His scholarly pursuits extend to the history of mathematics, with focus areas including British mathematics, 17th-century mathematics, and the period from 1860 to 1940, along with the history of graph theory and combinatorics.

In 1974, Wilson received the Lester R. Ford Award from the Mathematical Association of America for his expository article titled "An introduction to matroid theory." He participated in a 1977 collaborative publication with Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős, which established his Erdős number as 1. In 2008, he authored "Lewis Carroll in Numberland: His Fantastical Mathematical Logical Life," a study of the mathematical works of Lewis Carroll, also known as Charles Dodgson.

Editorial Work and Affiliations:

From January 1999 to September 2003, Wilson was the editor-in-chief of the European Mathematical Society Newsletter and served as an associate editor from 2003 to 2008. He has served as President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics. Since 1985, Wilson has been the editor of the "Stamp Corner" column on mathematics on stamps for the Mathematical Intelligencer.

Other Interests:

Wilson has an interest in music, notably the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He co-authored "Gilbert and Sullivan: The Official D'Oyly Carte Picture History" with Frederic Lloyd. In 2007, he appeared as a guest on the BBC Radio 3 program "Private Passions."

Personal Life:

Wilson is married and has twin daughters.

Publications:

Wilson has authored or edited approximately thirty books, covering topics such as number theory, combinatorics, the history of mathematics, and popular science. Notable works include "Number Theory: A Very Short Introduction" (2020), "The Turing Guide" (2017, with co-authors), "Lewis Carroll in Numberland" (2008), and "Four Colours Suffice" (2002). He has contributed to works on mathematical history, puzzles, and education, reflecting his diverse interests within and beyond mathematics.

External Links:

His professional activities and publications are documented on the Open University website, Gresham College lectures, the Mathematics Genealogy Project, and other platforms.