Person: Potts, Renfrey Burnard
Renfrey Potts was an Australian mathematician who worked in operations research and network problems.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- The 'Potts model', which he developed in his thesis, is a generalization of the Ising model for interacting spins on a crystalline lattice.
- Potts was appointed to a newly created chair in applied mathematics at the University of Adelaide in 1959 where he remained until his retirement in 1990.
- Potts served as head of the department and was a leader both in his department and in Australian mathematics in general, especially in applied mathematics.
- In addition to research on Ising-type models in mathematical physics and on road traffic analysis, Potts contributed to three other areas of research: operations research, especially networks; difference equations; and robotics.
- Potts was an outstanding lecturer who drew large audiences to his talks.
- Among the honours which were given to Potts for his outstanding contributions we mention election to the Australian Academy of Science in 1975, elecion to the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 1983.
Born 4 October 1925, Adelaide, Australia. Died 9 August 2005, Adelaide, Australia.
View full biography at MacTutor
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Origin Australia
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References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
