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Washington University in St. Louis News & Information > Faculty Experts at Washington University in St. Louis >
Professor of Mathematics Expertise: mathematics, pure mathematics, operator theory, quantum mechanics Bio: John McCarthy's field is a kind of analysis called operator theory, which he defines as the study of matrices in infinite dimensional space. It is most directly linked to quantum mechanics, a physics theory involving elementary particles such as the electron that predicts the outcomes of physical experiments in probabilities. Operator theory is the language of quantum mechanics. McCarthy is a pure mathematician who sometimes participates in some applied mathematical problems. WUSTL Contact Information:
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Additional Background: John E. McCarthy, Ph.D., professor of mathematics in Arts & Sciences, specializes in a kind of analysis called operator theory, which he defines as the study of matrices in infinite dimensional space. It is most directly linked to quantum mechanics, a physics theory involving elementary particles such as the electron that predicts the outcomes of physical experiments in probabilities. Operator theory is the language of quantum mechanics. McCarthy is a pure mathematician who sometimes participates in some applied mathematical problems. In addition to its use in quantum mechanics, operator theory can be applied to such recognizable problems as automatic pilot design and oil exploration. Control theory is an old engineering discipline, and designing an automatic pilot is a good example of control theory . In the automatic pilot problem operator theory facilitates factoring in and allowing for such parameters as turbulence, time, over- and under-corrections, and others, that a plane might encounter from one destination to another. In oil exploration, operator theory helps researchers decode radar or sonar signals sent into different layers of mud, shale and granite and refracted back to find oil deposits. McCarthy is a native of Ireland. After completing his master's degree in mathematics at Dublin University, McCarthy was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley. He wanted to return to Ireland after completing his doctorate, but the Irish universities were under a hiring freeze. Instead he became visiting professor for two years at Indiana University before coming to Washington University in 1991. McCarthy became a U.S. citizen in 1996. |
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Revised: Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007 
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