State University of New York Distinguished Professor Christopher Bishop has been awarded the 2024 Senior Berwick Prize by the London Mathematical Society (LMS).
Bishop, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Mathematics, received the prize for his papers “Models for the Eremenko–Lyubich Class,” published in the Journal of the London Mathematical Society in 2015, and “Models for the Speiser Class,” published in the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society in 2017. LMS announced its 2024 prize winners at the end of June.
The Berwick Prize and Senior Berwick Prize are awarded by LMS in alternating years to honor William Edward Hodgson Berwick. The prizes recognize “an outstanding piece of mathematical research … published by the Society” within eight years before the award year.
“I was gratified and delighted to hear that I had been awarded the Senior Berwick prize by the London Mathematical Society,” Bishop said. “This is a highly regarded award and the list of previous winners includes numerous mathematical luminaries, so to be included among such names is a tremendous honor that was quite unexpected, but much appreciated.”
“Professor Bishop’s groundbreaking work creating the technique of conformal folding and applying it to open questions in transcendental dynamical systems is an important milestone, opening new methods of investigation in this branch of mathematics,” said Scott Sutherland, professor and chair in the Department of Mathematics. “It is a great pleasure to see the London Mathematical Society acknowledge its importance with this well-deserved prize.”
Bishop is recognized internationally as an expert in complex analysis, hyperbolic geometry, and computational geometry. His work has been described as "breakthrough" and "revolutionary." Over his three-decade career, he has addressed significant problems, developed new concepts, and advanced mathematics.
With more than 90 publications to his name, including works in top journals like Annals of Mathematics, Inventiones Mathematicae, and Acta Mathematica, Bishop's contributions have been substantial. He has consistently received support from U.S. National Science Foundation grants for over 30 years. Among his accolades are a Sloan Fellowship; an invitation to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 2018; becoming a Fellow of the American Mathematics Society in 2019; and being named a Simons Fellow in Mathematics.
In its official citation for Bishop's award, LMS stated: “The papers constitute a breakthrough in understanding two fundamental classes of transcendental entire functions: The Speiser class S...and [the] Eremenko–Lyubich class B.” The citation added that Bishop’s work provides a "black box" standard now extensively used by other researchers.
Founded in 1865, LMS is one of the oldest mathematical societies globally and served as a model for other organizations like the American Mathematical Society. It remains pivotal for advancing mathematics both within Britain and internationally through its prestigious publications.