Mathematics and Physics
The Institute of Mathematics and Physics embraces two of the oldest and most scientifically distinguished departments at Aberystwyth: Mathematics and Physics. These subjects have been taught since the establishment of the university in 1872 and continue in a dynamic institute with over 250 undergraduate and postgraduate students, including many from outside the UK.
Research in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences was well-established by 1900. In 1908, G.A. Schott predicted the phenomenon of synchrotron radiation at Aberystwyth almost 70 years before Julian Schwinger from Harvard was awarded the Nobel Prize for developing the full theory. In 1940, E.J. Williams discovered the pi-meson in Aberystwyth using one of the early cloud chambers.
Amongst the most recent developments has been the establishment of the Centre for Advanced Functional Materials and Devices (CAFMD), a research partnership between the Universities of Aberystwyth and Bangor, the Welsh Visualisation Centre, a combined commercial and research centre that exploits state-of-the-art virtual reality equipment, and the Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences (WIMCS), an exciting new venture to establish an institute for collaboration in research and postgraduate teaching throughout Wales.