Tom Willmore (1919-2005) was Professor of Mathematics at Durham University. Among his many accomplishments, he instigated the study of surfaces of minimal value with respect to a global extrinsic curvature measure for a surface, now called its "Willmore energy", by contributing relevant results and stating a challenging conjecture for tori. Efforts stimulated by this have led to the study by mathematicians worldwide of surfaces with stationary Willmore energy, now called "Willmore surfaces". The 4-lobed Willmore torus is one of the particularly beautiful, symmetric Willmore surfaces discovered by Dirk Ferus (TU Berlin) and Franz Pedit (Amherst and Tübingen).
On the afternoon of 14th March, a sculpture in stone by the artist Peter Sales and inspired by a 4-lobed Willmore torus was unveiled on the Science Site of Durham University. After speeches from the Vice Chancellor of Durham University, Prof. Chris Higgins, and Tom's widow, Dr Gillian Boughton, the unveiling itself was performed before a crowd of several hundred people by some of the Willmore Pure Mathematics Postgraduate Fellows. These fellowships are funded from the Willmore Foundation, which was set up by Dr Boughton, and are awarded to promising PhD students working in pure mathematics at Durham University. After the sculpture unveiling, approximately 300 cupcakes (each decorated with a picture of a Willmore surface!) were consumed at a reception held to mark the event. [mpeg video 140MB]
Preceding the unveiling was a public lecture, attended by about 180 people, by Prof. Pedit: The Willmore conjecture - the first 50 years. [mpeg video 459MB]
In his lecture, Franz explored the significance of Willmore surfaces and their relation to Tom and Durham. Franz is particularly well-qualified to give this lecture, since he has played a prominent role in the study of Willmore surfaces since his first extended visit to Durham in 1987 as a postdoc of Tom Willmore.
Further information on Tom and the Willmore Foundation, including a list of the Willmore Pure Mathematics Postgraduate Scholars may be found here.
These celebrations were embedded in a momentous and well-attended meeting in the series of Yorkshire and Durham Geometry Days. In addition to Prof Pedit, the speakers were Brendan Guilfoyle (Tralee) and André Neves (Imperial):
- André Neves (Imperial): Min-max methods and the Willmore conjecture [mpeg video 606MB]
- Brendan Guilfoyle (IT Tralee): A capillary problem in codimension two with application [mpeg video 541MB]
