Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of Canterbury

Alumni Newsletter

National recognition for UC mathematicians by NZMS, pg 4 11 Editorial Congratulations

Welcome to the first of our Congratulations to the students who Congratulations to the students who annual Alumni Newsletters graduated at the graduation ceremony graduated in April 2011. for graduates in Mathematics in December 2010. PhD and Statistics! The last twelve PhD months have certainly Blair Robertson (Mathematics) made for an exciting and Scott Graybill (Bioengineering) BSc(Hons): unusual year. Xin Zhao (Statistics) Luke Davies (Mathematics) BSc(Hons) There has been the annual cycle of Jacky Po-Chien Sung (Mathematics & Statistics) courses, exams and graduations Ahmad Fazil Bin Alias John Trengrove (Mathematics) (Statistics & Mathematics) interleaved, as usual, with the cycle Chen Chen (Statistics) of research seminars, workshops Nicholas Brettell (Mathematics) and conferences. But this time BSc William Frost (Mathematical Physics) these events needed to dodge Luke Davies (Mathematics) Nurul Idris (Mathematics) a succession of earthquakes, Korinne Brown (Mathematics) aftershocks and snowfalls. Clare O’Connell (Mathematics & Philosophy) Michael Burrell-Smith (Statistics) Staff and students have been BSc amazingly resilient through all the Lisa Hepp (Mathematics) Norazeh Abd Shukor (Mathematics & Statistcs) disruptions, and I think my abiding Luke McFarlane memory of this year is going to Nuradilla Azhari (Mathematics & Statistics) (Mathematics & Computer Science) be the cheerful enthusiasm of Rowen de Vries (Physics & Mathematics) Andrew Johnson (Mathematics & Physics) students determined to make a William Frost (Physics & Mathematics) Catherine Cumpstone success of everything they did. (Statistics & Biological Sciences) In the following pages you will Adam Gray (Mathematics & Computer Science) see some of the year’s successes Yang Hu (Statistics) Serina Hapi (Mathematics) celebrated, as well as updates on Alastair Jamieson-Lane (Mathematics) Chyau-Feng Tony Cheng other events in the Department of Jeevananthan Kasinathan Panadam (Mathematics & Physics) Mathematics and Statistics over (Physics & Mathematics) Edwin Flores the last twelve months. (Mathematics & Computer Science) Happy reading! Daniel Laws (Statistics) Robert King (Mathematics & Computer Science) Dr John Hannah (Editor) Wan Zanariah Binti Md Jahaya Dept of Mathematics and Statistics (Mathematics & Statistics) Choon Siong Lim (Mathematics & Economics) Nurul Afiqah Binti Md Najib Lisa Sands (Mathematics & Statistics) (Physics & Mathematics) Nelson Shaw Fiona Morrison (Statistics) (Mathematics & Computer Science) Shane Neiman (Statistics) Katherine Wilson (Statistics & Psychology) Jasmine Robinson (Chemistry & Mathematics) Chontelle Tuck (Mathematics). Luke Stevens (Mathematics) GradDipSc Jesse Unger (Mathematics & Economics) Tomohiro Uchiyama (Mathematics). Paul van Berkel (Mathematics & Physics) PGDipSc Uthpala Vattala (Statistics) Guanyu Zheng (Statistics). Matthew Ward (Mathematics & Psychology) Miaofei Zhao (Statistics & Economics) BA Ann Lah (Mathematics & Chinese)

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2 2010 Graduation afternoon tea and prizegiving

Each year the department holds an afternoon tea for students attending the graduation ceremonies. The 2010 afternoon tea was held on Tuesday 14 December and was combined with a celebration of department prize winners. We were delighted that Peter Wily was able to attend, to present the first Helen Wily Prize in memory of his late wife. Congratulations to all our prize-winners, including Katy Bergstrom, co-winner of the W B Wilson Prize, who was unable to attend. Thomas Heyang Li (Page Prize) Jennifer Harlow (Helen Wily Prize)

Nicholas Brettell (Cook Prize co-winner) Hun Lee (W B Wilson Prize co-winner) Simon Todd (Peter Bryant Prize 200-level)

James Hadfield (Cook Prize co-winner) James Bonifacio (Gordon Petersen Prize) Joshua Chen (Peter Bryant Prize 100-level)

2011 University of Canterbury Research Medal The 2011 University of Canterbury Research Medal will be awarded to Professor Douglas Bridges of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The medal will be presented at the Graduation ceremony on the afternoon of 14 December 2011. Professor Bridges is a world authority on constructive mathematics and is a very fitting recipient of the University’s premier research award. Congratulations to Douglas and more photos in our next edition!

3 National recognition for UC mathematicians

Professor Charles Semple and award in the past – , PhD mathematics student and Rachael Tappenden received – so it is a big honour to be this two of three awards presented year’s recipient.” annually by the New Zealand Rachael was presented with Mathematical Society the NZMS Aitken Prize, which (NZMS) at the organisation’s is awarded to the student who colloquium in Dunedin in delivered the best student talk at the NZMS colloquium. It is the December 2010. fourth consecutive time a doctoral Charles, who is President of student from the UC mathematics the society, was awarded the and statistics department has NZMS Research Award for collected the award. his contributions to discrete Rachael’s talk was titled mathematics, the branch of “Extensions of Compressed mathematics that provides the Sensing” and discussed a way of theoretical underpinnings to reconstructing signals and images computer science. His particular from small datasets which has area of expertise in this area is applications in medical imaging. matroid theory, which involves working with structures that “Being able to speak well in public underlie the solution of many is an important skill to have if optimisation problems. you’re going into academia so winning this award is a good sign The award also recognised Charles’ for me. It also means that what I’m work in the field of phylogenetics doing is interesting.” – the reconstruction and analysis Charles and Rachael with their awards. of phylogenetic (evolutionary) Rachael was one of 20 students foster mathematical research in trees and networks based on Charles said he was pleased to from around the country who were New Zealand and to recognise inherited characteristics – and receive such recognition from his considered for the award, which excellence in research carried out computational biology. peers “particularly given who has comes with a $500 prize. by New Zealand mathematicians. won the award previously”. It is the third time a UC academic The previous UC recipients were has received the award since “Some big names in New Zealand Neil Watson (1995) and Mike Steel mathematics have received this it was established in 1990 to (1999).

Chris is now a researcher and need for costly trial and error runs lecturer in the University’s currently used to tune the control Department of Electrical and systems and significantly reduce Former student Computer Engineering, and the long turnaround time required was among 10 recipients of to launch and accurately position awarded the fellowships, which are a payload. administered by the Royal Society Chris received his BSc (Hons) prestigious of New Zealand. degree with First Class Honours Chris will receive $160,000 per in Mathematics in 1997, and PhD fellowship year over a five-year period. The in Mathematics in 2001, from the aim of the scheme, set up by the University of Canterbury. Government in 2010, is to support The chairperson of the selection researchers in the three to 10 year panel, Professor , period after they have completed said the high calibre of the a doctoral degree. Chris will use applicants made choosing the final the funding to further his work in ten a difficult decision. “Those the development of a system to chosen demonstrated exceptional control rockets. talent and promise. We believe This work involves building a they will be New Zealand’s future mathematical model of the research leaders and are worthy of Dr Chris Hann, a former student and PhD graduate of the rocket as it travels through space, this investment.” department, has been awarded a prestigious Rutherford including directly identifying Discovery Fellowship totalling $800,000 over five years to help random wind loads to allow prediction and stabilisation of the him develop his research career in New Zealand. rocket. This approach will avoid the 4 Staff News UC Teaching Awards Professor Jan Evans-Freeman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engineering), presents Irene David with a UC Teaching Award at a function on 14 July at NZi3. These annual awards recognise teaching excellence at the university and Irene was one of 6 UC recipients for 2011. Irene is currently the Director of Teaching - Tutors, and a Senior Academic Tutor.

College Teaching New book on Award mathematics Phillipa Williams (Senior In Clemency Montelle’s first Academic Tutor) won a College book entitled Chasing Shadows: of Engineering Teaching Award Mathematics, Astronomy and the in the Early Career category. Early History of Eclipse Reckoning, she explores the ways in which 4 major cultures of the ancient world Comings & goings – the ancient Near East, ancient Greece, India and the Islamic Near After several retirements in East – used mathematics to model recent years (Bob Broughton, and predict eclipses. She also looks Pam Hurst, Ian Coope and at the scientific discoveries these Neil Watson most recently) societies made and how ideas this year has seen several new spread amongst cultures. The book academic staff joining us. has been published as part of the Jeanette McLeod came to us John Hopkins University Press’s from the Heilbron Institute in Studies in the History of Mathematics Bristol, England. Her specialist series. area is combinatorics. Maarten McKubre-Jordens is a former graduate of the department who did his PhD Investiture in Auckland under Gaven On 14 April at Government House, Martin. He returned the Wellington, Professor Emeritus Roy Canterbury for a post-doctoral Kerr, was invested by Sir Anand fellowship with Douglas Satyanand, Governor General, Bridges, and is soon to start as a Companion of The New a two-year lecturing position Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) here. He is interested in for services to Astrophysics. Roy non-classical analysis and took up the Chair of Mathematics para-consistent logic. at Canterbury in 1971, on his Elena Moltchanova came to return from the University of us from Finland. She is Texas, Austin, and remained there interested in statistical until his retirement in 1993. For modelling, and 50% of her ten of those years he was also position is dedicated to Head of Department. Professor statistical consultancy work Charles Semple represented the around the campus. Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the investiture and Blair Robertson is a the following luncheon, where Canterbury graduate who he gave a speech on behalf of the recently completed his PhD department. under the supervision of Chris Price. He is interested in optimization.

5 Earthquakes and recovery

The September and February earthquakes Damage after February’s quake was more and Natural Resources, and then in our current turned lives (and offices) upside down. The extensive, of course. While the university did temporary home in Chemistry). office, shown above after the September thorough checks on all its buildings, staff An increased use of online resources saw us quake, was relatively easy to fix. rallied round, helping one another with through to Easter, but many students and staff water supplies and clearing up the effects of were relieved to resume normal lecturing in Staff turned up for a working bee, straightening liquefaction at home. the second term. The June quake caused some book-shelves and re-shelving books, closing The disruption of classes was more severe disruption to the end-of-semester examinations, errant drawers and righting furniture, and finally this time, and even when classes resumed it but the thorough checks done after February giving everything a good dust! Within a week was going to be with reduced contact time. meant that we were quickly back in our (still classes resumed and life was back to normal, With campus buildings still off-limits, the temporary) offices. apart from occasional aftershocks that felt a bit department met in a colleague’s home, to plan like a short theme-park ride on the upper floors The department’s tutorial rooms and computer its way forward. Even when classes resumed, of the Erskine building, the maths and statistics labs were up and running in time for the big staff offices in Erskine were off-limits while first department’s home. Semester 2 courses. Remediation of the Erskine safety checks and then remediation were carried office block is progressing well and we expect to out. For many weeks, staff worked in temporary be back in our old offices by the end of this year. space at home, or in libraries (as they were re- We are looking forward to a normal 2012! opened), or in other departments (firstly in Civil

In May, Clemency Montelle organised a joint Mathematics-Philosophy retreat Combined mathematics-philosophy for UC and visiting staff and students. This weekend of academic discussion, Kaikoura retreat fellowship and fresh air, took place at the University’s Kaikoura Field Station. The trip was packed, and the scholarly fare included ten talks on various topics including constructive mathematics, history and philosophy of mathematics, mathematics education, experimental statistics, imaging and probability. One talk included some very hard sums consisting of tequila, shot glasses and dice – all in the name of research, of course!

6 Annual NZ Phylogenetics Meeting – Leigh 2011

A former sawmill on a remote But the annual “NZ phylogenetics held from 6-11th February in Leigh over longer ones (the so-called beach north of Auckland may meeting” showcased a range in a converted sawmill that is now ‘J-curve’), through to applications seem an unlikely location of ‘cutting edge’ research (pun a comfortable lodge/cafe/brewery. in epidemiology, phylogeography for a week-long meeting of intended), with talks from three Over fifty participants from seven and conservation biology. The biologists and mathematicians. UC staff (James Degnan, Charles countries attended, with just over meeting was organised by David Semple and Mike Steel) as well half the participants from New Bryant (Otago) and Stephane as recent departmental visitors Zealand. Talks ranged from the Guindon (Auckland). Next year’s (Sebastian Boecker, Tanja Stadler, development of new methods for meeting will be in the South Island, Vincent Moulton and Katharina constructing phylogenetic trees at a similar time, and organised by Huber). PhD student Joe Zhu was and networks, to questions such as Charles Semple and Mike Steel. also at the meeting. The meeting why rates of evolution over recent - the 16th in an annual series - was time periods appear faster than

MATHSOC

2010 saw the start of a new available during the holidays to Movie Night & BBQ MATHSOC would love your support. student venture, the setting up help with the booth at CantaMath Come to some of our events! Sign Mathsoc, with the support of the of a club MATHSOC for stu­dents 2011. They did a superb job of up by email: Mathsoc.uc@gmail. interacting with the students. department, organised the first com in mathematics and statistics. movie night this year. We watched Thanks go to Thomas Li and CantaMath 2011 was sponsored by Thomas Li Casio, The Press and the Ministry the movie “Social Network” (about Robin Candy for this. of Education. The department was how Mark started Facebook) with Photo: Staff and students enjoyed a represented at the prizegiving by fish and chips, hot dogs, drinks and Mathsoc BBQ on 16 September. Cantamath 2011 Rua Murray, who made a speech snacks. Thanks to MATHSOC members and presented the prizes. About 15 cool people showed up Thomas, James, Daniel, Isaac Photo: James Williams (thanks to the “social network”) and Julie for making themselves demonstrating his Rubik’s Cube and we had a wonderful time. skills at the booth. 7 Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 Christchurch, 8140 New Zealand Ph: +64 3 364 2600 Fax: +64 3 364 2587 Email: [email protected] Web: www.math.canterbury.ac.nz/