Professor Robin Wilson

Professor Robin Wilson is Emeritus Gresham Professor of Geometry, Emeritus Professor of Pure Mathematics at the Open University, and a former Fellow of Keble College, Oxford University. He has also regularly taught as a guest Professor at The Colorado College, USA, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in mathematics in 2023. 

Professor Wilson's academic interests lie in graph theory, particularly in graph colouring problems such as the four colour problem. He also researches the history of mathematics, particularly British mathematics and mathematics in the 17th century and the period 1860 to 1940 and the history of graph theory and combinatorics.  He has written and edited over 50 books on these topics and has won international awards for his writings and outreach on these subjects.

Outside the strict mathematical canon, Professor Wilson is particularly interested in choral singing and the musical output of Gilbert and Sullivan; the latter interest has given rise to publications and two Gresham College lectures. He has also lectured on the connections between mathematics and music.

Prior to his appointment as Gresham Professor of Geometry in 2004, he was the Visiting Professor in the History of Mathematics. Upon his appointment to the Geometry chair, Professor Wilson said: "Mathematics is, and has always been a central part of human culture, and I do not believe that one can fully understand the subject if it is separated from its historical roots. My lectures are designed to support this conviction."