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James A. Yorke
photo by A. La Porta Distinguished University
Professor of Mathematics and Physics Chair of Mathematics,
effective July 2007 |
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A.B., James Yorke came to the He believes a Ph.D. in mathematics is a
license to investigate the universe. His current
research projects range from chaos theory and weather prediction and
genome research and the investigation of computer networks to the population
dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He acknowledges the benefits of having superb collaborators! He is perhaps best known to the general
public for coining the mathematical term "chaos" with T.Y. Li in a
1975 paper entitled "Period
Three Implies Chaos". "Chaos" is a mathematical concept
for processes that vary according to precise deterministic laws but appear to
behave in random fashion. The University's
chaos research group, is one of the best in the world. Yorke aims at
describing those robust properties that are common in the dynamics of
physical, biological, and chemical systems. Sometimes he describes the
phenomena using rigorous mathematics, and sometimes only via phenomenological
descriptions from intensive numerical studies. Most often, the research is a
blend of numerical and rigorous techniques. Professor Yorke has coauthored three books
on chaos and a monograph
on gonorrhea epidemiology: · Dynamics: Numerical Explorations (written with Helena Nusse) on computational aspects of chaos· Coping with Chaos (written with Edward Ott and Tim Sauer) is a collection of reprints focusing on how scientists observe, quantify, and control chaos.·
Chaos:
An Introduction to Dynamical Systems (written with Kathleen Alligood
and Tim Sauer) -- an interdisciplinary math text for seniors and beginning
graduate students.
Prof.
Yorke has supervised over 40 Ph.D.
dissertations in the Depts. of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer
Science. Dr. Yorke's Curriculum Vitae includes a list of
over 300 publications, many with abstracts, and is available online, as is a
short list of those most frequently cited. See also
some papers and
preprints, and Dynamics Software; an
interview on “The Connection” a PBS radio show; an interview
by Tim Sauer on the Dynamical Systems Web Portal; an interview by
Isabel S. Labouriau ( Math 410,
Advanced Calculus, Spring 2006. Contact Information:
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