Ruth Margaret Williams

Ruth Margaret Williams (born 1945) is a British Mathematician at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on discrete gravity.

Ruth M Williams
Born1945 (age 75–76)
Birmingham, UK
Alma materGirton College, Cambridge (BA)
Imperial College, London (PhD)
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics
General Relativity
Discrete Gravity
InstitutionsImperial College, London
Center for Theoretical Studies, University of Miami
University of Bristol
University of Cambridge
ThesisCurrent Algebras in Elementary Particle Physics (1968)
Doctoral advisorPaul Taunton Matthews [1]
Websitewww.damtp.cam.ac.uk/people/r.m.williams

Early life and education

Williams was born in Birmingham and attended primary schools in Lozells and Banners Gate, her secondary education was at Sutton Coldfield High School for Girls. The first member of her family to go to university, she read mathematics at Girton College, Cambridge, then moved to Imperial College, London, for her PhD, which was in theoretical physics and focused on current algebras. She obtained a postdoctoral research position at the Center for Theoretical Studies at the University of Miami. (1968-1970). She held a research position at Imperial College (1970-1973) and a temporary lectureship at the University of Bristol (1973-1974), before moving back to a Hertha Ayrton Research Fellowship at Girton College in 1974.[2]

Career

In 1976, Williams became an Official Fellow, Lecturer and Director of Studies in Mathematics at Girton College[2] positions she held until she retired in 2012. At the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, she was a temporary lecturer (1991-1994),[2] Assistant Director of Research (1994-2002)[2] and Reader in Mathematical Physics[2] from 2002 until retiring in 2012. She is now a Life Fellow at Girton College.[3] Throughout her time in Cambridge, she lectured on and supervised most of the courses in theoretical physics.

Research

Williams’ early research was in elementary particle physics, then during her second postdoctoral position she started working in classical general relativity. Eventually she combined these two interests by working in quantum gravity in an attempt to find a unified theory of quantum mechanics and general relativity. Her particular approach, called Regge calculus, is a version of discrete gravity where curved space-times are approximated by collections of flat simplices. This may be thought of as a generalisation of geodesic domes to higher dimensions. Williams’ work on Regge calculus includes the classical evolution of model universes,[4] and numerical simulations of discrete quantum gravity,[5] together with investigations of the relationship between Regge calculus and the continuum theory.[6] She has written around 100 papers on her research.[7]

Knowledge transfer

Williams has given talks on her research to student societies, sixth formers and younger pupils. She has been Treasurer of the Cambridgeshire branch of the Royal Institution Mathematics Workshops, which runs Saturday morning sessions to foster the mathematical interest of local twelve- and thirteen-year-olds.[8]

Publications

Books
  • Flat and curved space-times, (1988) Williams, Ruth; Ellis, George; Oxford University Press, (Second Edition 2000).[9]
  • Chapter on Bertha Jeffreys in Out of the Shadows: Contributions of Twentieth Century Women to Physics.[10]

Non-technical articles

Article in the New Scientist: Building blocks for space and time.[11]

Women in STEM

Williams has always been especially concerned that women should not be deterred from reaching their potential as mathematicians. To this end, and encouraged by Dusa McDuff, she started the British Women in Mathematics Day, which is now an annual event.[12]

Personal life

Williams is the widow of Czech-born British mathematician, Jan Saxl, Professor of Algebra at the University of Cambridge and they have one daughter, Miriam.[13]

References
  1. "Paul Taunton Matthews Biographical Memoir". jstor. JSTOR 770061. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  2. "DAMPT homepage". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 12 August 2020.>
  3. "Girton Life Fellows". Girton College, University of Cambridge. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. Collins, P. A.; Williams, Ruth M. (1973). "Dynamics of the Friedmann Universe Using Regge Calculus". Physical Review D. 7 (4): 965–971. Bibcode:1973PhRvD...7..965C. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.7.965. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  5. "Simplicial quantum gravity with higher derivative terms: Formalism and numerical results in four dimensions". Science Direct. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  6. "Quantum Regge Calculus". Science Direct. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  7. "Article List". arXiv.org. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  8. "Cambridge Branch of the Ri Mathematics Masterclasses". The Royal Institution. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. Ruth M Williams; George F R Ellis (1988). Flat and curved space-times. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198506560.
  10. Ruth M. Williams, Bertha Swirles Jeffreys (1903-1999), pp. 178–190, in Out of the Shadows: Contributions of Twentieth-Century Women to Physics, edited by Nina Byers and Gary Williams, 498 p. (Cambridge University Press, 2006). ISBN 0-521-82197-5
  11. "Building blocks for space and time". New Scientist (110): 48–51. 12 June 1986.
  12. "Women in mathematics". London Mathematical Society. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  13. "Professor Jan Saxl". Gonville & Cauis. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
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