Lawrence Oates

17th March, 2012

Like many British people I was brought up on stories of glorious failure, perhaps epitomised by Captain Robert Scott’s exploration of Antarctica.

Although the expedition was successful in its primary aim (they made it to the South Pole, gathering many scientific specimens along the way) it failed in two major respects: they were not the first to reach the Pole, finding on their arrival a tent left behind by Roald Amundsen‘s team. Secondly, Scott’s party never made it back.

One of the most famous episodes, documented in Scott’s diaries, took place on the disastrous return trip. With one of their party, Edgar Evans, already dead, the team’s progress was being slowed by another, Captain Lawrence Oates, who was suffering with severe frostbite and possible scurvy. As Scott wrote, “Oates’ feet are in a wretched condition… The poor soldier is very nearly done.”

Aware that he was holding his colleagues back, Oates suggested that they go on without him. They refused; so, on the morning of 16th March 1912, Oates’ 32nd birthday, he took matters into his own hands.

Leaving his boots behind, and uttering the famous words “I am just going outside and may be some time”, Oates stepped out of the tent into a blizzard, never to be seen again.

I have known the heroic tale of Captain Oates for as long as I can remember. What I did not know, until today, was that he lived around the corner from me, in what is now Meanwood Park in Leeds, and was then Meanwoodside, the Oates family estate. Today marks exactly 100 years since Oates ‘went outside’, so an exhibition was held in the park, and a commemorative blue plaque unveiled.

As well as being largley responsible for the park’s attractive appearance, the Oates family included at least one other explorer: Lawrence’s uncle Frank Oates, who explored Central America, before dying during an expedition to Africa. The Oates approach to life can perhaps be summed up by Frank’s saying:

“I like anything that seems difficult of attainment”.

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John Derrick

10th February, 2012

I meant to post something about John Derrick, a long-standing and much loved member of the logic group at Leeds University, who died in December. I only knew John in his later years (some time after his official retirement), but would regularly see him at the Wednesday afternoon logic seminar, which was often followed by a trip to the pub. He was always a thoughtful and benevolent presence in the seminar room, and made for entertaining and knowledgeable company over a drink.

For younger members, he was also something of a link to an earlier era, the days when the group was led by Martin Löb (of Löb’s theorem fame).

It is a testamant to his strength of character, and his love of the subject, that he continued to attend and contribute to these seminars through many year of ill-health, up until only a few weeks before his death.

An obituary by Garth Dales appeared in the LMS news-letter and a longer one can be read on the University of Leeds website.

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Pick’s Theorem & Ehrhart Polynomials

1st February, 2012

Pick’s theorem is a simple, beautiful, and usful fact of elementary geometry. It should be much better known than it is! In fact, I have half a mind that it should be on the A-level (high school) syllabus.

Less famous – but equally wonderful – are Ehrhart polynomials, which are what you get when you try to lift Pick’s theorem into higher dimensions. Though geometrically intuitive, they quickly lead into deep mathematical waters. They’re also valued as tools in optimisation problems and in other areas of computer science (I’m told).

This afternoon I gave a – hopefully fairly accessible – talk on these topics. The slides are available here.

(Update: PDF of slides here).

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