Institutions University of Exeter Role Professor of mathematics Education University of Cambridge | Name David Rees Died August 16, 2013 Awards Polya Prize | |
Born 29 May 1918 ( 1918-05-29 ) Alma mater University of Cambridge Doctoral advisor Philip Hall
Gordon Welchman Doctoral students Michael P. Drazin
O.A.S Karamzadeh
Inder Bir Passi Known for Artin–Rees lemma
Rees algebra
Rees factor semigroup
Rees matrix semigroup
Rees's theorem Spouse Joan S. Cushen (m. 1952) Books CIRA Part III Reference Atmospheres - Trace Constituent Models - Comparison with Latest Data Notable awards Polya Prize, Royal Society People also search for Sandy Green, Philip Hall, Michael P. Drazin, Robert Alexander Rankin | ||
David Rees ScD Cantab, FIMA, FRS (29 May 1918 – 16 August 2013) was an emeritus professor of pure mathematics at the University of Exeter, having been head of the Mathematics / Mathematical Sciences Department at Exeter for many years. During the Second World War, Rees was active on Enigma research in Hut 6 at Bletchley Park.
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Education and career
Rees was born in Abergavenny. On completion of his education, he initially worked on semigroup theory, and Rees factor semigroup is named after him. He also gave a characterization of completely simple and completely 0-simple semigroups, nowadays known as Rees's theorem. The matrix-based semigroups used in this characterization are called Rees matrix semigroups. At the behest of Douglas Northcott he switched his research focus to commutative algebra. In 1954, in a joint paper with Northcott, Rees introduced the Northcott-Rees theory of reductions and integral closures which has subsequently been influential in commutative algebra.
Before 1971, Rees was appointed head of the Mathematics Department at the University of Exeter.
Awards and honours
In 1993 Rees was awarded the Polya Prize by the London Mathematical Society. In August 1998 a conference on Commutative Algebra was held at Exeter in honour of David Rees' 80th Year. He was an Honorary Fellow of Downing College, Cambridge He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1968.
Personal life
In 1952, he married Joan S. Cushen, who became a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at Exeter, with four children:
- (Susan) Mary Rees FRS, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Liverpool, b. 1953
- Rebecca Rees, b. 1955
- Sarah E. Rees, Professor of Pure Mathematics at Newcastle University, b. 1957
- Deborah Rees, b. 1960