Ward

Professor Neumann, Martin Ward and ANU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deane Terrell at the Award ceremony at the ANU on the evening of Tuesday 29 June 1999.

Citation

With respect to Australian Mathematics Trust activities, Martin Ward mostly comes under notice as a problem creator for the Australian Mathematics Competition Problems Committee. Martin has been a member of this committee over a number of years, including the earliest years 20 years ago. He is responsible for many of the most challenging questions which have appeared in the paper, some of a geometrical nature (including 3 dimensions), others of a graph theory nature, and others algebraic. Whatever, Martin's questions are distinctive for their freshness and the intellectual (but always apparently achievable) challenge which they provide.

Martin almost became a chemist, and in fact first completed a chemistry degree at the University of Melbourne. He then decided that he did not wish to spend his life in a laboratory.

He then started his experience with the ANU, an experience in which he claims to have been the first resident ever of University House, attended the Canberra University College, completing an ANU Honours degree in mathematics in 1963, and possibly completing only the second Maths PhD at the ANU in 1966, only just after Martin Dunwoody.

His work was in Algebra and his supervisor was Hanna Neumann, although she was not here at the beginning and Bernhard was his interim supervisor. He commenced as a Lecturer in Mathematics in 1966 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1970.

While at the ANU Martin, often with Neville Smyth, has been involved with many innovative teaching programs. I recall that they worked to introduce the Keller plan back in the 70s, to enable students to undergo self-paced learning. I do not think that this still operates, because it has depended heavily on tutor manpower, but it was quite revolutionary at the time.

Martin is probably best known nationally, and in fact internationally, for his work as co-developer with Neville of ANU GRAPH, one of the best graphical teaching programs on the market. Whereas this has been developed over many years it is still being actively maintained, with a new version for imminent release.

Martin has been heavily involved by his department in developing curriculum and teaching methods for the first year courses. Technology is often a component of the methods he develops.

He has taken a particular interest in the ANU's Distinguished Scholar Program, where he works with a small group of students in his office on a blackboard each year teaching topology. This has proved a particularly effective method with the best students.

Finally Martin's role with music should be acknowledged. He has been very involved with playing, composing and the technicalities of computer-based music. This is relevant because mathematics and music touch each other in so many ways. He gives a lecture at ANU Open Days on mathematics and music, but the only thing we have not yet seen from him is an AMC question based on music. This is his next mission.

Peter Taylor

29 June 1999

Martin with Professor Neumann, wife Robyn and daughter.