I am a Professor of Mathematics in the Mathematics Department at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where I have been on the faculty since 1990.  I am also an academic governor (a member of LSE's governing body, the Council) and recently served time as head of department.

I am originally from Paisley, in the west of Scotland, near Glasgow. Paisley, with its history of weaving, is famous for the "paisley pattern", originating thousands of miles east of there, but mass-produced in Paisley's (now defunct) mills. Growing up in Paisley, I studied at the local comprehensive, Castlehead High School, then graduated from the University of Glasgow with a BSc in Mathematics in 1988. I completed a PhD in Mathematics in 1991, having studied at Royal Holloway College and LSE. I also have an MA in Higher and Professional Education from the Institute of Education, University of London.

My research interests are focused on how we can use mathematics to say provable things about  machine learning. I won't bore you here with the details: see my publications page for hours of enjoyment. If you would like a non-technical overview, see this short video or read this expository article.

I live with my wife Colleen and our son Alistair in the cheaper end of leafy Twickenham, a place I like very much. I enjoy vegetarian cookery, cycling, listening to music and reading fiction.

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