ERIK  CHRISTOPHER  ZEEMAN

Zeeman's research has been in a variety of areas such as topology, in particular PL topology, dynamical systems and mathematical applications to biology and the social sciences. His initial research was in topology and one of his theorems was the unknotting of spheres in five dimensions. Certainly his work in topology would make him one of the leading topologists of all time but he may be known principally for other work.

Perhaps he is best known for his work on catastrophe theory for, although this theory was due initially to René Thom, it was Zeeman who brought it before the general public giving widespread publicity to applications of what was before that time thought of as pure mathematics. In particular Zeeman pioneered the applications of catastrophe theory in the biological and behavioural sciences, as well as the physical sciences.

Among the books which Zeeman has published are the texts Catastrophe theory (1977), Geometry and perspective (1987) and Gyroscopes and boomerangs (1989). One of his many memorable quotes, from his Catastrophe theory text, says much about mathematical philosophy:-

Technical skill is mastery of complexity while creativity is mastery of simplicity.

A shorter introduction to catastrophe theory than his 1977 book was given by Zeeman in his beautifully written survey article Bifurcation and catastrophe theory [Contemp. Math. (1981)]. The article introduces catastrophe theory in a unified way giving both elementary and non-elementary aspects. There is an elementary discussion of the cusp and the pitchfork and a statement of the classification theorem for elementary catastrophes. Asked what were the highlights of his own research he explained:-
 

In 1978, Zeeman gave the Christmas Lectures at the Royal Institution, out of which grew the Mathematics Master classes for 13-year old children that now flourishes in forty centres in the United Kingdom. He was the 63^rd President of the London Mathematical Society in 1986-88 and delivered the Presidential Address to the Society on 18 November 1988 On the classification of dynamical systems.