Mathematical Sciences Home Page: Professor Alastair Spence

Department: School of Mathematical Sciences
Job Title: Professor in Numerical Analysis
Telephone: +44 1225 386011
Fax: +44 1225 386492
Room Number: 1 West 3.9a

E-mail Address: A.Spence "AT" maths "DOT" bath "DOT" ac "DOT" uk
Postal Address:Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK

Teaching page

Research Interests and Activity

Topics in Numerical Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, including

• Large Sparse Matrix Computations and Eigenvalue Problems
• Hopf Bifurcations in Mixed FEM Methods for N-S problems
• Network simulations in Bioinformatics

I am very keen to supervise Ph D students and have projects in all of the above areas.

Recent Publications

Current/Recent Ph D students at Bath

• Sarah Mitchell, handed me the draft of her PhD thesis on "Coupling Transport and Chemistry in groundwater flow" on April Fool's Day 2003! Thankfully all was well and she is now a lecturer at the University of Limerick, Ireland, after post-docs at University of Cape Town, South Africa, and at UBC, Vancouver.
• Jörg Berns-Müller worked on "Large Sparse Eigenvalue Problems ". He now has a research position at the University of Frankfurt.
• Zivko Stoyanov started in August 2004. He works on "Algorithms for Network Simulation".
• Andre Leger worked on "Mathematical and Numerical modelling of digestion in the small intestine". He successfully submitted his thesis on 3rd June 2005. He now works in the City of London earning much more money than I do!
• Melina Freitag started in October 2004. She submitted her thesis in September 2007 on `Inexact Methods for Large Sparse Eigenvalue Problems'. She is now a Research Fellow at Bath working on data assimilation.
• Richard Akimola started in April 2007 2004. He is working on Eigenvalue problems.

Parallel methods for PDE Eigenvalue Problems

Ivan Graham and I are working on a joint research project on "Parallel methods for PDE Eigenvalue problems". Inititially this work was funded by EPSRC. Dr Eero Vainikko (Tartu, Estonia) is also involved. If you want to know more about this project click here for our web page.

Algorithms for Network Simulation in Bioinformatics

Professor Des Higham (University of Strathclyde), Professor Peter Grindrod and I have an EPSRC supported project on "Network Simulations in Bioinformatics". Zivko Stoyanov started a PhD on this topic in the summer of 2004.

Papers on Numerical Bifurcation: LMS Meeting, CLAPDE, Durham, 2008

• Click here for a copy of Cliffe, Spence and Tavener "Acta Numerica" (2008).
• Click here for a copy of Spence and Graham "Numerical Methods for Bifurcation Problems" (1998).

Bath/RAL Numerical Analysis Day

• The 1st Bath/RAL NADay was held on 4th November 2002 in Bath. Click here to view the programme.
• The 2nd Bath/RAL NADay was held on 26th September 2003 at RAL. Click here to view the programme.
• The 3rd Bath/RAL NADay was held on 1st October 2004 in Bath. Click here to view the programme.
• The 4th Bath/RAL NADay was held on 27th September 2005 at RAL. Click here to view the programme.
• The 5th Bath/RAL NADay was held on 18th September 2006 in Bath. Click here to view the programme.
• The 6th Bath/RAL NADay was held on 25th September 2007 at RAL. Click here to view the programme.
• The 7th Bath/RAL NADay will be held on 23th September 2008 at Bath. Click here to view the programme.

Leslie Fox Prize

I was Chairman of the panel for the 12th Leslie Fox Prize which was held in Dundee on Monday 27th June 2005.

Informal Numerical Analysis seminars

At 12.15pm on most Fridays in the semester we hold an informal seminar in numerical analysis. Click here for the current programme.

LINKS TO OTHER WEB SITES:

Timetable for train services in the UK [Trains]

[School of Mathematical Sciences] [University of Bath]