# Brendan McKay

> Mathematician and Computer Scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q10559614](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10559614)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_McKay_(mathematician))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/brendan-mckay-q10559614

## Summary
Brendan McKay is an Australian mathematician and computer scientist known for his research in combinatorics. He serves as a professor at the Australian National University and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. McKay is recognized for his close collaboration with Paul Erdős, holding an Erdős number of 1.

## Biography
*   **Born:** October 26, 1951, in Melbourne, Australia
*   **Nationality:** Australian
*   **Education:** University of Melbourne
*   **Doctoral Advisor:** Derek Allan Holton
*   **Employer(s):** Australian National University
*   **Field(s):** Combinatorics, Computer Science
*   **Full Name:** Brendan Damien McKay
*   **Gender:** Male

## Contributions
Brendan McKay has contributed significantly to the fields of mathematics and computer science, specifically within the area of combinatorics. His academic output is tracked under the DBLP Author ID `74/5295` and the zbMATH author ID `mckay.brendan-d`.

His contributions to the academic community include the mentorship of numerous doctoral students who have gone on to academic careers. His verified doctoral students include:
*   Ian Wanless
*   Gordon Royle
*   Jeanette McLeod
*   Xiaoji Wang
*   Weifa Liang
*   Yuzhen Liu
*   Mohammadreza Reza Jooyandeh
*   Narjess Afzaly

## FAQs

### What is Brendan McKay's Erdős number?
Brendan McKay has an Erdős number of 1. This indicates he co-authored a paper with the prolific mathematician Paul Erdős, specifically noted in the context of the year 1984.

### What awards has Brendan McKay received?
McKay was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1997. Earlier in his career, in 1990, he was awarded the Australian Mathematical Society Medal.

### Where did Brendan McKay study and work?
McKay received his education at the University of Melbourne. He is employed by the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.

### What is Brendan McKay's specific field of study?
While he is classified broadly as a mathematician and computer scientist, his specific field of work is identified as combinatorics, a branch of mathematics concerning the study of finite or countable discrete structures.

## Why They Matter
Brendan McKay matters to the scientific community due to his dual expertise in mathematics and computer science, bridging the gap between theoretical computation and discrete mathematics. His recognition as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science underscores his status as a leading scientist in his country. His position as a professor and doctoral advisor has allowed him to shape the next generation of mathematicians and computer scientists, evidenced by the successful careers of his students. Furthermore, his Erdős number of 1 places him in the inner circle of one of the most collaborative networks in mathematical history, highlighting his integration into the global fabric of theoretical research.

## Notable For
*   **Holding an Erdős Number of 1:** Achieved through collaboration with Paul Erdős in 1984.
*   **Fellowship:** Elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1997.
*   **Academic Leadership:** Served as a doctoral advisor to at least eight PhD graduates.
*   **Award Winning:** Recipient of the Australian Mathematical Society Medal in 1990.
*   **Cross-Disciplinary Expertise:** Recognized formally as both a mathematician and a computer scientist.

## Body

### Personal Background and Education
Brendan Damien McKay was born on October 26, 1951, in Melbourne, Australia. He holds Australian citizenship and speaks English. He pursued his higher education at the University of Melbourne, where he completed his doctoral studies under the supervision of Derek Allan Holton. His thesis is recorded in the Mathematics Genealogy Project under ID 35951.

### Academic Career
McKay is currently employed by the Australian National University (ANU). His professional role classifies him as a mathematician and a computer scientist. As a computer scientist, he is part of a profession defined by the study of theoretical foundations of information and computation, distinct from computational science. He maintains a professional website hosted by the ANU Department of Computer Science at `http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm`.

### Research and Mentorship
McKay's primary field of work is **combinatorics**. His research contributions are extensive enough to be cataloged across multiple major academic databases, including Scopus (ISNI `0000000027915762`), the Mathematical Reviews (MR Author ID `122480`), and DBLP.

He has played a significant role in academia as a mentor. He has supervised the following doctoral candidates:
*   **Ian Wanless**
*   **Gordon Royle**
*   **Jeanette McLeod**
*   **Xiaoji Wang**
*   **Weifa Liang**
*   **Yuzhen Liu**
*   **Mohammadreza Reza Jooyandeh**
*   **Narjess Afzaly**

### Recognition and Memberships
McKay's work has been recognized through several high-profile honors:
*   **Australian Mathematical Society Medal (1990):** Awarded for excellence in mathematical research.
*   **Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (1997):** A prestigious election recognizing his distinguished contribution to Australian science.

He is also documented as having an **Erdős number of 1**, a distinction in the mathematics community indicating a direct co-authorship with Paul Erdős. This collaboration is noted to have occurred around 1984.

### Professional Identifiers and Classifications
McKay is listed in numerous international authority files and bibliographic databases, reflecting his global academic footprint:
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n91113435
*   **GND ID (German National Library):** 1067829989
*   **VIAF ID:** 2548242
*   **BIBSYS ID:** 90667540
*   **Encyclopedia of Australian Science ID:** P004017b
*   **WorldCat Entities ID:** E39PBJfX6HC8v7MGTvP7Hd3fbd

His professional image is archived on Wikimedia Commons under the category "Brendan McKay (mathematician)," with a specific photograph dated July 29, 2021.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.science.org.au/profile/brendan-mckay)
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project
3. general catalog of BnF
4. Virtual International Authority File
5. CiNii Research
6. [Source](https://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/publications.html)
7. [Source](https://www.renyi.hu/~p_erdos/1984-12.pdf)