John Britton
Encyclopedia
John Leslie Britton was an English
mathematician
from Yorkshire
who worked in combinatorial group theory
and was an expert on the word problem for groups
. Britton was a member of the London Mathematical Society
and was Secretary of Meetings and Membership with that organization from 1973-1976. Britton died in a climbing
accident
on the Isle of Skye.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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....
from Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
who worked in combinatorial group theory
Combinatorial group theory
In mathematics, combinatorial group theory is the theory of free groups, and the concept of a presentation of a group by generators and relations...
and was an expert on the word problem for groups
Word problem for groups
In mathematics, especially in the area of abstract algebra known as combinatorial group theory, the word problem for a finitely generated group G is the algorithmic problem of deciding whether two words in the generators represent the same element...
. Britton was a member of the London Mathematical Society
London Mathematical Society
-See also:* American Mathematical Society* Edinburgh Mathematical Society* European Mathematical Society* List of Mathematical Societies* Council for the Mathematical Sciences* BCS-FACS Specialist Group-External links:* * *...
and was Secretary of Meetings and Membership with that organization from 1973-1976. Britton died in a climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
accident
Accident
An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...
on the Isle of Skye.