Frank Adams

John Frank Adams was a famous British mathematician. He lived from 1930 to 1989.

Adams is best known for his work in homotopy theory. His ideas and proofs changed this area of mathematics. Many mathematicians still study his work today.

For his achievements, Adams was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. This group honors great scientists and mathematicians. His work continues to inspire new mathematicians around the world.

Life

John Frank Adams was born in Woolwich, a suburb in south-east London. He went to Bedford School. He had a younger brother, Michael Adams, who became an officer in the Royal Air Force.

Adams studied at Trinity College, Cambridge with Abram Besicovitch but later focused on algebraic topology. He earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1956.

He worked at the University of Manchester from 1964 to 1970. Then he became the Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry at the University of Cambridge until 1989. In 1964, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Adams liked mountaineering and would show people how to climb around a table at parties. He was inspired by a move called the Whitney traverse. He also enjoyed the game of Go.

Work

In the 1950s, a part of math called homotopy theory was just beginning, and there were many puzzles to solve. Frank Adams made big progress in this area, called algebraic topology. He used ideas from French mathematicians like Henri Cartan and Jean-Pierre Serre and made them better. He created a special tool called the Adams spectral sequence, which helps solve hard math problems.

Adams also helped start the use of another math idea called K-theory. He found new ways to study shapes using this idea. His work helped solve famous problems and inspired many students and mathematicians around the world. In 1974, he received a special award called the Senior Whitehead Prize from the London Mathematical Society.

Recognition

The main math research room in the Alan Turing Building at the University of Manchester is named for him.