John Horton Conway
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Summary
John Horton Conway was born on December 26, 1937[1], in Liverpool[2]. He died on April 11, 2020[3], in Princeton[4]. He worked as a mathematician[5] and university teacher[6]. He ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (5,366 views/month, #6,934 of 1,000,298).[7]
Key Facts
- Place of death: New Brunswick[8]
- Father: Cyril Horton Conway[9]
- Mother: Agnes Boyce[10]
- Country of citizenship: United Kingdom[11]
- Native language: English[12]
- Field of work: group theory[13], combinatorial game theory[14], mathematics[15], number theory[16], game theory[17], knot theory[18], mathematical game[19]
- Employer: Princeton University[20], University of Cambridge[21]
- Educated at: University of Cambridge[22], Gonville and Caius College[23]
- Doctoral advisor: Harold Davenport[24]
- Notable work: Conway's Game of Life[25], Conway group[26], surreal number[27], Conway chained arrow notation[28], Conway criterion[29], Conway notation[30]
- Award received: Fellow of the Royal Society[31], Pólya Prize[32], Berwick Prize[33], Nemmers Prize in Mathematics[34], Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition[35]
- Member of: Royal Society[36], American Academy of Arts and Sciences[37]
- Sex or gender: male[38]
- Doctoral student: Richard Borcherds[39], Simon P. Norton[40], Robert Arnott Wilson[41], Adrian Mathias[42], Jonathan D. H. Smith[43], Leonard Hyman Soicher[44], Charles Ferenbaugh[45], Richard Stuart Margolin[46], Timothy M. Hsu[47], Frank Swenton[48], Christopher Smyth Simons[49], Derek Alan Smith[50], William Alan Schneeberger[51], Donald Lee Pilling[52]
- Commons category: John Horton Conway[53]
- Cause of death: COVID-19[54]
- Residence: New Brunswick[55]
- Family name: Conway[56]
- Given name: John[57], Horton[58]
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Works and Contributions
Things named for John Horton Conway include Conway's Game of Life[59], Look-and-say sequence[60], Conway polyhedron notation[61], Conway knot[62], Conway's base 13 function[63], Conway's Soldiers[64], Conway group[65], and Conway criterion[66].
Why It Matters
John Horton Conway has Wikipedia articles in 25 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[67] He is known by 32 alternative names across languages and contexts.[68]
He is credited with the discovery of Conway's Game of Life[69], a Life-like cellular automaton[70], founded in 1970[71]; Doomsday rule[72], a calculation[73]; surreal number[74], a type of number[75]; angel problem[76], a mathematical game[77]; Sprouts[78], a mathematical game[79]; and Conway polyhedron notation[80], a notation[81]. Entities named for him include Conway's Game of Life[59], Look-and-say sequence[60], Conway polyhedron notation[61], Conway knot[62], Conway's base 13 function[63], and Conway's Soldiers[64].
His notable doctoral advisees include Richard Borcherds[82], Simon P. Norton[83], and Robert Arnott Wilson[84].
FAQs
Where was John Horton Conway born?
John Horton Conway was born in Liverpool[2].
Where did John Horton Conway die?
John Horton Conway passed away in Princeton[4].
Who were John Horton Conway's parents?
John Horton Conway's father was Cyril Horton Conway[9]. John Horton Conway's mother was Agnes Boyce[10].
What did John Horton Conway do for work?
John Horton Conway worked as a mathematician[5] and university teacher[6].
Where did John Horton Conway go to school?
John Horton Conway was educated at University of Cambridge[22] and Gonville and Caius College[23].
What awards did John Horton Conway receive?
Honors received include Fellow of the Royal Society[31], Pólya Prize[32], Berwick Prize[33], and Nemmers Prize in Mathematics[34].
What did John Horton Conway discover?
John Horton Conway is credited as discoverer of Conway's Game of Life[69], Doomsday rule[72], surreal number[74], and angel problem[76].