Paul Glendinning

Paul Glendinning is a Beyer Professor of Applied Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Manchester. He is known for his important work on dynamical systems, which are ways to model how complex mathematical or physical processes change over time.

His research focuses on several key areas. One is bifurcation theory, especially global bifurcations, which look at how systems can suddenly change their behavior. He also studies synchronization and blowout bifurcations, as well as low-dimensional maps and systems that are forced by quasi-periodic patterns.

Through this work, Glendinning helps us understand the underlying patterns in many natural and mathematical phenomena. His contributions have made significant impacts in the field of applied mathematics.

Education

Paul Glendinning earned his PhD from King's College, Cambridge in 1985. His thesis was about homoclinic bifurcations, and he was supervised by Nigel Weiss.

Career and research

Paul Glendinning studied and worked at several universities, starting with postdoctoral research at the University of Warwick and later returning to Cambridge. He held positions at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and won the Adams Prize in 1992.

He worked at Queen Mary and Westfield College and later at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). In 2004, he became head of the School of Mathematics after the merger of two universities. He also served as Scientific Director of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences in Edinburgh and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 2022, he became president of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Personal life

Paul Glendinning lives in Marsden, West Yorkshire. He is the son of academic Nigel Glendinning and writer and broadcaster Victoria Glendinning. His brother is philosopher Simon Glendinning.