Jim Mauldon
Encyclopedia
James Grenfell Mauldon MC
(known as Jim Mauldon) (1920 – 21 May 2002) was a British
mathematician
who taught at the University of Oxford
and in the United States at Amherst College
.
and Jesus College, Oxford
, where he studied mathematics. Although he matriculated
in 1938, he did not complete his studies until 1947 because of the intervention of the Second World War. He served with the Royal Tank Regiment
between 1941 and 1946 in the North African
and Italian
campaigns, reaching the rank of major. He won the Military Cross
for his actions at the First Battle of El Alamein
in 1942, when he took fuel lorries to replenish tanks that had been left isolated by Rommel
's movements. He commanded the tank assigned for the use of General Montgomery
to follow the battle. He later said that it was he who introduced Montgomery to the beret that thereafter became his trademark, saying that if Montgomery wanted to move around without being recognised, he would have to wear a beret like the others in the crew; Montgomgery then borrowed the driver's beret.
On his return to Oxford, he was elected to a Fellowship at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
and was a Tutor in Mathematics from 1951 to 1968; he was also the college Dean. He then moved to Amherst College
, Massachusetts
, where he was Walker Professor until retiring in 1990. He was highly respected as a teacher at both Oxford and Amherst.
He published on a wide range of mathematical topics, including group theory
, game theory
, geometry, statistics and matrix properties. He also composed chess problems, setting the Christmas competition for The Sunday Times
for a number of years.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(known as Jim Mauldon) (1920 – 21 May 2002) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
who taught at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and in the United States at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
.
Life
Mauldon was born in 1920 and educated at Ipswich SchoolIpswich School
Ipswich School is a co-educational public school for girls and boys aged 3 to 18. Situated in Suffolk, England in the town of Ipswich, it was founded in its current form as The King's School, Ipswich by Thomas Wolsey in 1528....
and Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, where he studied mathematics. Although he matriculated
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
in 1938, he did not complete his studies until 1947 because of the intervention of the Second World War. He served with the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
between 1941 and 1946 in the North African
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and Italian
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
campaigns, reaching the rank of major. He won the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his actions at the First Battle of El Alamein
First Battle of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces of the Panzer Army Africa commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Allied forces The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert...
in 1942, when he took fuel lorries to replenish tanks that had been left isolated by Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
's movements. He commanded the tank assigned for the use of General Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
to follow the battle. He later said that it was he who introduced Montgomery to the beret that thereafter became his trademark, saying that if Montgomery wanted to move around without being recognised, he would have to wear a beret like the others in the crew; Montgomgery then borrowed the driver's beret.
On his return to Oxford, he was elected to a Fellowship at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
and was a Tutor in Mathematics from 1951 to 1968; he was also the college Dean. He then moved to Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where he was Walker Professor until retiring in 1990. He was highly respected as a teacher at both Oxford and Amherst.
He published on a wide range of mathematical topics, including group theory
Group theory
In mathematics and abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as groups.The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such as rings, fields, and vector spaces can all be seen as groups endowed with additional operations and...
, game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
, geometry, statistics and matrix properties. He also composed chess problems, setting the Christmas competition for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
for a number of years.