The Alan Tayler Lectures are a long-running series showcasing the fascinating application of mathematics. They are named after Alan Tayler, a pioneer of applied mathematics, and founding member of the Smith Institute Council.
Now in its 39th year, the event sees a leading figure in the field of applied mathematics invited to St Catherine's College in Oxford to deliver an expert insights that outline mathematics' crucial role in shaping the world we live in. Over the years topics have ranged from cinema to aviation, demonstrating the vast breadth and influence of mathematics.
Alan was the first Fellow in Applied Mathematics to be appointed at St Catherine’s. His lifelong commitment was to the practical application of mathematical ideas to problems in science and industry. His vision continues to inspire many national and international collaborations on the theme of mathematics-in-industry.
Smith Institute has a close relationship with academia. Our deep mathematical expertise enables us to craft innovative bespoke AI and data science solutions that solve our clients' most complex challenges. We are proud to be a long-term sponsor of the lectures.
The Alan Tayler Lecture 2024, takes place on Monday 18th November at 4.30pm in the Riverside Lecture Theatre at St Catherine's College Oxford.
This year, we are delighted to have a member of our Scientific Board Prof Alison Etheridge OBE FRS, Professor of Probability, University of Oxford giving the lecture.
Registration is open for students, alumni, and the general public.
The order of events will be as follows:
4.30-5pm: Tea & Coffee (Riverside Lecture Theatre Foyer)
5-6pm: Lecture (Riverside Lecture Theatre).
6-7pm: Drinks (Riverside Lecture Theatre Foyer)
The Forwards and Backwards of Population Models.
Prof Alison Etheridge OBE FRS, Professor of Probability, University of Oxford.
What can we infer about the history of a population from the patterns of genetic variation that we observe today?
There is a long history of mathematical modelling of the demographic dynamics of a population and their effect on the genetic relationships between individuals sampled from that population, but the assumptions imposed to ensure analytic tractability are often very strict. Here we lay out a broad class of models that might describe how spatially heterogeneous populations live, die and reproduce. This class is particularly well suited to modelling plant populations. In particular, a novelty of our approach is that we explicitly model a juvenile phase, with important implications for quantities that we might try to infer from genetic data.
St Catherine’s College has a long tradition in applied and industrial mathematics. The college has hosted an annual series of lectures on Mathematics and its Applications since 1986. In 1995, the series was renamed in memory of Alan Tayler.
Take a look back at some of the previous lectures below:
The Forwards and Backwards of Population Models
Professor Alison Etheridge OBE FRS
University of Oxford
The Maths (and Engineering) of Moving People and Things Around
Professor Eddie Wilson
University of Bristol
From Neurons and Sunflowers to Actuators and Soft Robots
Professor Alain Goriely
University of Oxford
Transforming Medicine Through Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Professor Mihaela van der Schaar
University of Cambridge
The Mathematics Behind the AI Revolution
Professor Christopher Bishop
Microsoft Research Cambridge
Optimization in the Darkness of Uncertainty
Professor Kate Smith-Miles
University of Melbourne
Matrices of Data and Singular Values
Professor G Strang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
How Long is a Piece of Spacetime?
Professor P Bond
Quantitative Software Consulting Ltd
The Dynamics of Mathematics with Industry
Professor A Champneys
University of Bristol
Phyllotaxis, Pushed Pattern Fronts and Optimal Packing
Professor A Newell
University of Arizona
Models for Optimal Control and Design of New Cars and Airplanes
Dr V Mehrmann
Technische Universität Berlin
Mathematical Modelling: Under the Bonnet
Professor J R Ockendon
University of Oxford
Telling Great Stories: The Mathematics and Systems Engineering of Movie Production
Dr L Wallen
DreamWorks Animation SKG
Economics, Mathematics and Decision-making
Lord Desai
London School of Economics and Political Science
Mathematical Modeling in Medicine, Sports and Technology
Professor A Quarteroni
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Symmetries in Biological and Physical Networks
Professor I N Stewart
University of Warwick
Modelling Spatial Diffusion: From Flames to Social Norms
Professor H Berestycki
EHESS, Paris, and University of Chicago
Walking on Water: Biolocomotion at the Interface
Professor J Bush
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1089 And All That
Dr D Acheson
University of Oxford
Packing Problems: from DNA to Origami
Prof L Mahadevan
Harvard University
What Did We ‘Europeans’ Learn From Alan Tayler?
Dr H Neunzert
Fraunhofer-ITWM
Maths-in-industry: Past Experiences and New Challenges
Professor J C R Hunt
University College London
Assertions in Programs: Out of Research and Into Production
Sir Tony Hoare
Microsoft Research
Explosive Vulcanism: Extreme Mechanics
Professor H E Huppert
University of Cambridge
Turbulence: An Old Challenge and New Perspectives
Professor G I Barenblatt
University of California, Berkeley and University of Cambridge
Eigenvalues: What They Do and Do Not Tell Us About Dynamics
Professor L N Trefethen
University of Oxford
Milk, Carrots, and Weetabix: The Mathematics of Food
Professor P J Fryer
University of Birmingham
Risk and Reward: The Role of Mathematics in Finance
Dr S D Howison
Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Mathematical Biology: Nonlinear Problems with Alligators, Aggression, and Survival of Wolves
Professor J D Murray
University of Washington
The Circle Lattice Problem, Quantum Statistics and Computer Graphics
Professor H B Keller
California Institute of Technology
Nineteenth Century Roots of the Boundary-layer Idea
Professor M Van Dyke
Stanford University
Sedimentation, Aggregation and Compaction
Dr E J Hinch
University of Cambridge
Some New Mathematical Questions Arising From Space Research Technology
Professor J L Lions
College de France
What Triggers the Trigger-Fishes?
Sir James Lighthill
University College London
Mathematics in Industry: A Growing Commitment
Professor A Friedman
University of Minnesota
Catastrophes and Credit Cards
Professor M V Berry
University of Bristol
Aeronautical Acoustics: A Model for Applied Mathematics
Professor D G Crighton
University of Cambridge
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