Vaughan Jones

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Sir Vaughan Frederick Randal Jones (31 December 1952Template:Spnd6 September 2020) was a New Zealand mathematician known for his work on von Neumann algebras and knot polynomials. He was awarded a Fields Medal in 1990.

Early lifeEdit

Jones was born in Gisborne, New Zealand, on 31 December 1952.<ref name=EB>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> He was brought up in Cambridge, New Zealand, where he attended St Peter's School. He subsequently transferred to Auckland Grammar School after winning the Gillies Scholarship,<ref name="NZH obit">Template:Cite news</ref> and graduated in 1969 from Auckland Grammar.<ref name="AGS obit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He went on to complete his undergraduate studies at the University of Auckland, obtaining a BSc in 1972 and an MSc in 1973. For his graduate studies, he went to Switzerland where he completed his PhD at the University of Geneva in 1979. His thesis, titled Actions of finite groups on the hyperfinite II₁ factor, was written under the supervision of André Haefliger, and won him the Vacheron Constantin Prize.<ref name="NZH obit"/>

CareerEdit

Jones moved to the United States in 1980. There, he taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (1980–1981), and the University of Pennsylvania (1981–1985), before being appointed as professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His work on knot polynomials, with the discovery of what is now called the Jones polynomial, was from an unexpected direction with origins in the theory of von Neumann algebras,<ref name="NZH obit"/> an area of analysis already much developed by Alain Connes. It led to the solution of a number of classical problems of knot theory, to increased interest in low-dimensional topology,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the development of quantum topology.

Jones taught at Vanderbilt University as Stevenson Distinguished Professor of mathematics from 2011 until his death.<ref>Personal web page at Vanderbilt University</ref> He remained Professor Emeritus at University of California, Berkeley, where he had been on the faculty from 1985 to 2011<ref>Personal web page at Berkeley</ref> and was a Distinguished Alumni Professor at the University of Auckland.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Jones was made an honorary vice-president for life of the International Guild of Knot Tyers in 1992.<ref name="AGS obit"/> The Jones Medal, created by the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2010, is named after him.<ref name="Jones Medal">Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

Jones met his wife, Martha Myers, during a ski camp for foreign students while they were studying in Switzerland.<ref name=Salisbury>Template:Cite news</ref> She was there as a Fulbright scholar,<ref name=Salisbury/> and subsequently became an associate professor of medicine, health and society.<ref name="AGS obit"/> Together, they have three children.<ref name="NZH obit"/><ref name="AGS obit"/>

Jones died on 6 September 2020 at age 67 from health complications resulting from a severe ear infection.<ref>Release of Vanderbilt University, 8 September 2020.</ref><ref name="NZH obit"/>

Jones was a certified barista.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Honours and awardsEdit

1990Template:Sndawarded the Fields Medal<ref name="NZH obit"/>
1990Template:Sndelected Fellow of the Royal Society<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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1991Template:Sndawarded the Rutherford Medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand<ref name="AGS obit"/><ref name="Jones Medal"/>
1991Template:Sndawarded the degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Auckland<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1991 – elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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