Brendan McKay
Encyclopedia
Brendan Damien McKay is a Professor in the Research School of Computer Science at the Australian National University
(ANU). He has published extensively in combinatorics
.
McKay received a Ph.D.
in mathematics from the University of Melbourne
in 1980. His thesis, titled "Topics in Computational Graph Theory" was written under the direction of Derek Holton.
One of McKay's main contributions has been a practical algorithm for graph isomorphism
and its software implementation NAUTY (No AUTomorphisms, Yet?). Further achievements include proving with Stanisław Radziszowski that the Ramsey number R(4,5) = 25, proving with Radziszowski that no 4-(12, 6, 6) combinatorial design
s exist, determining with Gunnar Brinkmann the number of posets
on 16 points, and determining with Ian M. Wanless the number of Latin square
s of size 11.
Outside of this specialty, McKay is best known for his collaborative work with a group of Israel
i mathematicians that criticizes the Bible code
hypothesis by arguing that the patterns in the Bible
that supposedly indicate some hidden message from a divine source or have predictive power can be just as easily found in other works, such as War and Peace
. Their work is frequently used to challenge Michael Drosnin
's arguments about a special Biblical code.
His Erdős number
is 1 and his Bacon number
is 3.
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
(ANU). He has published extensively in combinatorics
Combinatorics
Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of finite or countable discrete structures. Aspects of combinatorics include counting the structures of a given kind and size , deciding when certain criteria can be met, and constructing and analyzing objects meeting the criteria ,...
.
McKay received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in mathematics from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in 1980. His thesis, titled "Topics in Computational Graph Theory" was written under the direction of Derek Holton.
One of McKay's main contributions has been a practical algorithm for graph isomorphism
Graph isomorphism
In graph theory, an isomorphism of graphs G and H is a bijection between the vertex sets of G and H f \colon V \to V \,\!such that any two vertices u and v of G are adjacent in G if and only if ƒ and ƒ are adjacent in H...
and its software implementation NAUTY (No AUTomorphisms, Yet?). Further achievements include proving with Stanisław Radziszowski that the Ramsey number R(4,5) = 25, proving with Radziszowski that no 4-(12, 6, 6) combinatorial design
Combinatorial design
Combinatorial design theory is the part of combinatorial mathematics that deals with the existence and construction of systems of finite sets whose intersections have specified numerical properties....
s exist, determining with Gunnar Brinkmann the number of posets
Posets
Posets may refer to:*Posets peak, a mountain, second highest of the Pyrenees*Partially ordered sets...
on 16 points, and determining with Ian M. Wanless the number of Latin square
Latin square
In combinatorics and in experimental design, a Latin square is an n × n array filled with n different symbols, each occurring exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column...
s of size 11.
Outside of this specialty, McKay is best known for his collaborative work with a group of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i mathematicians that criticizes the Bible code
Bible code
The Bible code , also known as the Torah code, is a purported set of secret messages encoded within the text Hebrew Bible and describing prophesies and other guidance regarding the future. This hidden code has been described as a method by which specific letters from the text can be selected to...
hypothesis by arguing that the patterns in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
that supposedly indicate some hidden message from a divine source or have predictive power can be just as easily found in other works, such as War and Peace
War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature...
. Their work is frequently used to challenge Michael Drosnin
Michael Drosnin
Michael Drosnin is an American journalist and author, best known for his writings on the Bible code.Drosnin was born in New York City. He worked as a journalist for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal...
's arguments about a special Biblical code.
His Erdős number
Erdos number
The Erdős number describes the "collaborative distance" between a person and mathematician Paul Erdős, as measured by authorship of mathematical papers.The same principle has been proposed for other eminent persons in other fields.- Overview :...
is 1 and his Bacon number
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a trivia game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon and rests on the assumption that any individual involved in the Hollywood, California film industry can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps. The name of the game...
is 3.
External links
- Home page at the Australian National University
- Plantri and Fullgen, programs for generation of certain types of planar graphPlanar graphIn graph theory, a planar graph is a graph that can be embedded in the plane, i.e., it can be drawn on the plane in such a way that its edges intersect only at their endpoints...
s, developed by Brinkmann and McKay - http://www.thebiblecodes.com/claims/math/drosnin-mckay.htm Excerpt from a transcript of the debate between Drosnin and McKay, in October 1997