Vaughan Jones

Sir Vaughan Jones
KNZM FRS FRSNZ FAA
Vaughan Jones in 2007
Born Vaughan Frederick Randal Jones
(1952-12-31) 31 December 1952
Gisborne, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealand, American
Alma mater University of Geneva
University of Auckland
Known for Von Neumann algebras, knot polynomials, conformal field theory
Awards Fields Medal (1990)
Scientific career
Fields Mathematics
Institutions University of California, Berkeley
Vanderbilt University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Pennsylvania
Doctoral advisor André Haefliger

Sir Vaughan Frederick Randal Jones KNZM FRS FRSNZ FAA (born 31 December 1952) is a New Zealand and American[1] mathematician, known for his work on von Neumann algebras and knot polynomials. He was awarded a Fields Medal in 1990, and famously wore a New Zealand rugby jersey when he gave his acceptance speech in Kyoto.

Biography

Vaughan Jones was born in Gisborne, New Zealand and brought up in Cambridge, New Zealand, completing secondary school at Auckland Grammar School. His undergraduate studies were at the University of Auckland, from where he obtained a BSc in 1972 and an MSc in 1973. For his graduate studies, he went to Switzerland, where he completed his PhD at the University of Geneva in 1979. His thesis, titled Actions of finite groups on the hyperfinite II1 factor, was written under the supervision of André Haefliger. In 1980, he moved to the United States, where he taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (1980–1981) and the University of Pennsylvania (1981–1985), before being appointed as Professor of Mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley.

His work on knot polynomials, with the discovery of what is now called the Jones polynomial, was from an unexpected direction with origins in the theory of von Neumann algebras, an area of analysis already much developed by Alain Connes. It led to the solution of a number of classical problems of knot theory, and to increased interest in low-dimensional topology.

Jones has since 2011 been at Vanderbilt University as Stevenson Distinguished Professor of mathematics.[2] He remains Professor Emeritus at University of California, Berkeley where he has been on the faculty since 1985[3] and is a Distinguished Alumni Professor at the University of Auckland.[4]

He was made an honorary vice-president for life of the International Guild of Knot Tyers in 1992.

Honours

Publications

  • Actions of finite groups on the hyperfinite type II1 factor. Memoirs of the AMS. 1980.
  • with Frederick M. Goodman and Pierre de la Harpe: Coxeter graphs and towers of algebras. Springer-Verlag. 1989. [9]
  • Subfactors and knots. AMS. 1991. [10]
  • with V. S. Sunder: Introduction to subfactors. Cambridge University Press. 1997.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/3005749.html
  2. ↑ Personal web page at Vanderbilt University
  3. ↑ Personal web page at Berkeley
  4. ↑ Personal web page at Auckland
  5. ↑ "Fellows". Royal Society. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "The Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours 2002" (5 June 2002) 57 New Zealand Gazette 1553.
  7. ↑ Special Honours List (12 August 2009) 118 New Zealand Gazette 2691
  8. ↑ List of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society, retrieved 26 January 2013.
  9. ↑ Birman, Joan S. (1991). "Review: Coxeter graphs and towers of algebras, by F. M. Goodman, P. de la Harpe, and V. F. R. Jones". Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. (N.S.). 25 (1): 195–199. doi:10.1090/s0273-0979-1991-16063-5.
  10. ↑ Kauffman, Louis H. (1994). "Review: Subfactors and knots, by V. F. R. Jones". Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. (N.S.). 31 (1): 147–154. doi:10.1090/s0273-0979-1994-00509-9.
  • O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Vaughan Jones", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews .
  • Vaughan Jones at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  • Jones' home page
  • Career profile page at the University of Auckland
  • Joan S. Birman: The Work of Vaughan F. R. Jones in Ichirō Satake (ed.): Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematicians, 21–29 August 1990, Kyoto, Japan, Springer, 1991 (Laudatio for Fields-Medal 1990; online)
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