Patrick J. Ryan Patrick J. Ryan
Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Emeritus, McMaster University
Algorithms Research Group,
Department of Computing & Software,
Geometry and Topology Research Group,
Department of Mathematics & Statistics
My primary research interests are in Geometry, in particular, the characterization and classification of hypersurfaces in real and complex space forms. I have taught a wide range of Mathematics and Computer Science courses over many years and am the author of an undergraduate textbook Euclidean and non-Euclidean Geometry, An Analytic Approach published by Cambridge University Press.
Over the past several years, I have worked with Prof. Thomas Ivey of the College of Charleston on applying the theory of Exterior Differential Systems to classification of hypersurfaces. I have also done some work on string processing algorithms with my colleague Prof. W.F. Smyth, with particular emphasis on applications to computational geometry. I have just completed a book entitled "Geometry of Hypersurfaces" with Prof. Thomas Cecil (College of the Holy Cross). It appears in the Springer Monographs in Mathematics series.
In my role as Professor Emeritus, I teach a course occasionally -- most recently Computer Science 3DA3, Data Structures and Algorithms and Mathematics 1B03, Linear Algebra I.