Department of Mathematics top in Europe for research

Imperial College has been ranked as having the most influential mathematics research of any institution in Europe by a recent chart created by Thomson-Reuters. Ranked 13th for top institutions in mathematics, above any non-US institution overall, Imperial is listed as having 777 papers with 5,369 citations as of February 2011.

Dr Emma McCoy, Head of the Department of Mathematics, said that she is “very proud of this success, which reflects the breadth and depth of our world-leading research” and that the ranking is “testament to the years of intense work that has been put in by many over recent decades”.

The rankings involved counting the number of citations per researcher to determine the level of influence the research papers have had and included research published from 2001 to 2011.

She added that the rankings demonstrate the “impact this research is having, not only in the mathematics community, but in the positive influence mathematics has on the world around us”.

Two mathematicians were also singled out by the rankings as particularly “highly-cited” individuals, notably algebraist Professor Martin Liebeck and geometrician Professor Simon Donaldson, who is one of the most well known mathematicians at Imperial. Professor Donaldson, widely regarded as one of the top mathematicians in the world, received the Fields Medal at age 29 and is also a fellow of the Royal Society.

Professor Maggie Dallman, Principal of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, said that “research in mathematics underpins our understanding of many key areas of life” and that she is “pleased to see Imperial is celebrating such international success in this field.”

“We are also proud to be working collaboratively with researchers, at home and abroad, to fulfil our goals and bring about significant global economic and societal benefits”.