Roger Penrose Biography

Born: 1931, Colchester, England

Sir Roger Penrose is perhaps best known as the author of several books of popular science, including The Road to Reality. But he has also made significant contributions to mathematical physics, including the definitive proof that Einstein's equations of general relativity imply that a massive star will collapse to form a singularity.

Roger Penrose's father, Lionel Penrose was a medical geneticist and Fellow of the Royal Society. Roger Penrose's younger brother, Jonathan, was British Chess Champion ten times between 1958 and 1969. Roger's moved with his family to Canada in 1939. His father and elder brother, Oliver, were very interested in geometry, mathematics and physics, and stimulated Roger's interest in these subject.

In 1945 the Penroses returned to England and Roger's father was appointed Professor of Human Genetics at University College London; Roger attended University College School and later gained his B.Sc. in Mathematics at University College London. He gained his Ph.D. in algebraic geometry at St John's College Cambridge under William Hodge and John Todd. After attending lectures by *Herman Bondi on cosmology and *Paul Dirac on quantum theory Roger Penrose's interests turned to physics. This was cemented by his friendship with the cosmologist, and admired teacher, *Dennis Sciama.

After  fellowships and lectureships in various London Colleges, Cambridge and Princeton, Roger Penrose became Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford in 1973, a post he holds to this day.