Save Pure Maths at Leicester

The Open University

Even in terms of corporate strategy (refocusing on IT) it’s a dumb move at Leicester, where the pure maths research has historically strong links with computer science.

I am at this moment watching a talk at BMC/BAMC on applications of algebraic topology and algebraic geometry to cancer modelling.

University of Sheffield

University of Manchester

Management at Leicester should note that even universities whose whole raison d’etre are applied maths (post-92s such as Shef Hallam, Man Met, Notts Trent) have active pure maths research going on.

CNRS

University of Liverpool

Pure Mathematics at the University of Leicester needs and deserves all the support it can get.

I think you should ask for the titles and the fields of research in this petition. In general I do no use my title, but here it is relevant

Pure Mathematics is a key part of Scientific Research. Advances in Pure Mathematics continue expand human knowledge and contribute to research in many other areas of Science and Engineering. The last year has shown how important fundamental research is and how important it is to continue to invest in this area in the UK. As well as losing a number of extremely high quality researchers, ceasing Pure Mathematics at Leicester University would seriously reduce the University's international reputation and contributions to Scientific Research in the UK.

University of Sheffield

Heriot-Watt University

Pure Mathematics is the core of the subject and removing it would make it impossible to run a credible degree in Mathematics. Institutions which do not support key academic disciplines do not deserve to be viewed as universities. Research activity in pure mathematical areas in Leicester involve some internationally leading researchers some of whom have only recently been appointed and destroying this group would be an act of intellectual vandalism. It would have been interesting to hear the views of a former Chancellor, Michael Atiyah, if he were still alive.

From the time we realized Hardy was wrong about this, it's been clear there's no such thing as 'Pure Maths' - it's mostly an administrative convenience. All Mathematics is applicable.

Open University

Pure maths is the basic foundation of applied maths, statistics and probability and interesting in its own right.

As a working software engineer and mathematician, I can assure the University that free things are more detrimental to the advance of AI and machine learning than the decision to cease research in pure mathematics. This choice is at best misguided, at worst malicious, and only serves to hinder progress in stated areas.

Leicester's proposal is incoherent and ill-informed. Pure mathematics research is both valuable in its own right and essential for the things they claim they want to do.

I'm glad to see the support. Let's turn this into action.