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Overview

Walter Kurt Hayman (6 January 1926 – 1 January 2020) was a German-born British mathematician best known for his work in complex analysis. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, he spent the core of his academic career at Imperial College London where he held a professorship and later became Emeritus. Born in Cologne, he spent much of his life contributing to the theory of entire and meromorphic functions, value distribution, and related areas of function theory.

Areas of work and significance

Hayman's research centered on classical and modern problems in complex analysis. His work advanced understanding of how holomorphic functions behave, both globally and near singularities, and influenced subsequent developments in value-distribution theory and univalent function theory. He authored influential texts and problem collections that have been used by researchers and students to learn techniques and to identify open questions in the field.

Career and publications

Throughout a long academic career he combined research with teaching and supervision. At Imperial College London he contributed to departmental life, mentoring younger mathematicians and maintaining an international presence through collaborations and conferences. Hayman produced a stream of research papers and expository writings; some of his books and surveys remain standard references for graduate-level study in complex function theory.

Legacy and influence

Hayman's influence is seen both in the body of results that carry his name and in the many students and colleagues who followed ideas he helped shape. His problem lists and surveys stimulated research directions and clarified difficult questions. Colleagues remember him for clear exposition, careful proofs, and for sustaining a community around complex analysis in Britain and abroad. He died on 1 January 2020 at the age of 93.

Further reading