Curriculum Vitae

Benjamin Thomas Fairbairn Email address Website Birth Fax Telephone Nationality fairbaib@maths.bham.ac.uk http://web.mat.bham.ac.uk/B.Fairbairn/ 22nd November 1982, Leeds, England +44 (0) 121 414 3389 07765094837 British Address School of Mathematics Watson Building University of Birmingham Birmingham B15 2TT United Kingdom Education/Qualifications • 2005-2009: University of Birmingham: PhD Mathematics, Supervisor: Professor Robert Curtis • 2005: Summer Project on Measuring Coalgebras with Dr Marjorie Batchelor • 2004-2005: University of Cambridge, Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics (“Part III”) • 2001-2004: University of Cambridge, BA Mathematics Research Interests The finite simple groups, reflection groups, computational group theory and related combinatorial structures such as graphs and designs. In recent work I have been using the combinatorial structure of representations of groups to produce highly symmetric presentations and constructions of finite groups such as the sporadic simple groups. These have proved useful in the succinct representation of group elements helping to facilitate computations with these groups. Publications/Preprints • “Symmetric Representation of the Elements of the Conway Group ·0” with RT Curtis, Journal of Symbolic Computation, 44 (2009) 1044-1067 • “Symmetric Generation of Coxeter Groups” with J M¨ller, Archiv der Mathematik 93 (2009), 1-10 u • “A Note on Monomial Representations of Linear Groups”, accepted by Communications in Algebra • “Some Design Theoretic Results on the Conway group ·0”, accepted by the Electronic Journal of Combinatorics • “Improved upper bounds on the exact spreads of some large sporadic groups”, preprint 2009 and available on the arXiv at http://arxiv.org/abs/0907.2028 • “The exact spread of M12 is 9”, preprit 2009 and available on the arXiv at http://arxiv.org/abs/0909.2174 • “Symmetric Presentations of Coxeter Groups”, submitted • “A Survey of Recent Progress in the Symmetric Generation of Groups”, submitted • “Extensions of Symmetric Generating Sets” with RT Curtis, in preparation Prizes and Awards • Winner of the British Mathematics Colloquium postgraduate poster competition, 2009 • Grant from the Isaac Newton Institute to attend meeting “Algebraic Lie Theory” • EPSRC Research Studentship - University of Birmingham 2005-Present Professional Activities Ben Fairbairn - CV 2 • I am a referee for the Journal of Algebra. • I am a reviewer for the American Mathematical Society’s Mathematical Reviews. • Computer proficiency: experience in the use of the algebra packages Magma and GAP as well as A a working knowledge the language C++ and of L TEX. • Committee experience: served on several committees in the University of Birmingham including the Mathematics School Committee and the Graduate School Council. • LMS popular lectures general assistant 2008/2009 • Represented Birmingham at the Cambridge “Research at Other Universities” days 2007 and 2008. • Co-organizer of the Postgraduate Group Theory conference 2007 • Co-organizer of the Birmingham postgraduate seminar series 2006-2007 • Organizer of the Birmingham postgraduate Group Theory study group, Winter 2006 Selected Talks Given • “Spreads in Sporadic Groups”, Birmingham Algebra Seminar, Sep 2009 • Invited talk for potential employment, Oxford, Sep 2009 • Invited talk for potential employment, Manchester, Aug 2009 • “Computing in Sporadic Groups: An Application of Symmetric Generation”, Groups St Andrews, Bath, Aug 2009 • “Monomial Representations of Linear Groups”, Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Manchester, Apr 2009 • “Extensions of Symmetric Generating Sets”, British Mathematics Colloquium Postgraduate Satellite, Galway, Apr 2009 • “Symmetric Generation of Not-So-Finite (Real) Reflection Groups”, LMS “Groups and their Applications” Triangle Meeting, Manchester, Feb 2009 • “Methods of Extending Symmetric Generating Sets”, Cambridge, Oct 2008 • “Symmetric Presentations and Representations of Coxeter Groups”, MAGIC Conference, Liverpool, June 2008 • “Co2 and the Higman-Sims graph”, Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Oxford, Apr 2008 • “Symmetric Presentations of Coxeter Groups”, Conference in Honour of George Glauberman, Chicago, Mar 2008 • “Some Coxeter Groups; a Mathieu Group and the Petersen Graph”, Birmingham Algebra Seminar Feb 2008 • “Symmetric Generation of Finite Groups”, Cambridge, Nov 2007 • “A Black Box Algorithm for the Conway Group ·0” Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Cambridge, Apr 2007 • “An Introduction to Symmetric Generation” Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Southampton, Apr 2006 2 Ben Fairbairn - CV 3 Membership of Learned or Professional societies • Member of the London Mathematical Society • Member of the Isaac Newton Institute • Mentor for the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Teaching Experience • Teaching assistant, University of Birmingham 2005-Present This has entailed assisting with the teaching of a wide variety of subjects including linear algebra, complex variable and number theory in all three years of the undergraduate mathematics degree as well as service teaching of engineering and physics students in other departments. This has taken a variety of forms including assisting in examples classes; running supervision classes for a first year course; marking and occasionally giving lectures. • Mentoring for the UK Mathematics Trust 2006-Present This has entailed discussing problems set to three sixth form students (typically 17/18 years old) by the UK Mathematics Trust approximately once a month and often more frequently, via email. Referee Contact Details • Professor Robert Turner Curtis – Professor of combinatorial algebra – Relationship: PhD supervisor – Address: School of Mathematics, The Watson Building, University of Birmingham Birmingham B15 2TT – Telephone Number: +44 (0) 121 414 6595 – Fax Number: +44 (0) 121 414 3389 – Email Address: R.T.Curtis@bham.ac.uk • Professor Richard Weiss – William Walker Professor of Mathematics – Relationship: Familiar with my work – Address: Department of Mathematics Bromfield-Pearson Building, 503 Boston Avenue, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 – Telephone Number: 0016176273802 – Fax Number: 0016176273966 – Email Address: richard.weiss@tufts.edu • Professor Robert Wilson – Professor of pure mathematics – Relationship: Familiar with my work – Address: School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS – Telephone Number: +44 (0)20 7882 5496 – Fax Number: +44 (0)20 8981 9587 Ben Fairbairn - CV 4 – Email Address: R.A.Wilson@qmul.ac.uk Selected Conferences Attended • LMS midlands regional meeting, Leicester, Sep 2009 • Summer School on Finite Simple Groups and Algebraic Groups, Berlin, Sep 2009 • Groups St Andrews, Bath, Aug 2009 • Groups and computation meeting, Warwick, July 2009 • 11th Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Manchester, Apr 2009 • British Mathematics Colloquium, Galway, Apr 2009 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, Manchester, Feb 2009 • Instructional Workshop on Algebraic Lie Theory, Isaac Newton Institute, Jan 2009 • Representations of finite groups of Lie type and their subgroups, Birmingham, Dec 2008 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, QMUL, Oct 2008 • LMS/EPSRC short instructional course on Algebraic groups and related topics, Sep 2008 • Summer School on Finite Groups and related Geometric Structures, Venice, Italy, Sep 2008 • 2008 MAGIC conference, Liverpool, June 2008 • LMSmidlands regional meeting, Birmingham, June 2008 • 10th Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Oxford, Apr 2008 • Conference in honour of George Glauberman, Chicago, Mar 2008 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, Birmingham, Nov 2007 • North British Geometric Group Theory network Meeting, Manchester, Oct 2007 • Rob Curtis’ 60th birthday conference, Birmingham, Sep 2007 • Summer School on Finite Groups and related Geometric Structures, Venice, Italy, Sep 2007 • Summer school on Fusion systems, Birmingham, July/Aug 2007 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, Birmingham, June 2007 • Peter Cameron’s 60th birthday conference, Ambleside, Aug 2007 • 9th Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Cambridge, Apr 2007 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, Manchester, Feb 2007 • 50 years of the Hall-Higman theorem conference, Oxford, Jan 2007 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, Birmingham, Nov 2006 • Summer School on Finite Groups and related Geometric Structures, Dobiaco, Italy, Aug/Sept 2006 • Charles-Leedham Green’s Birthday conference, QMUL, June 2006 • LMS midlands regional meeting, Leicester, May 2006 Ben Fairbairn - CV 5 • One day meeting on Reductive Groups and their Representations, Oxford, Apr 2006 • 8th Postgraduate Group Theory Conference, Southampton, Apr 2006 • British Mathematics Colloquium, Newcastle, Apr 2006 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, Imperial, Feb 2006 • LMS Groups and Representations triangle meeting, Birmingham, Nov 2005