Person Whittle; Peter (1927-2021); mathematician and statistician Whittle Peter mathematician and statistician 1927-2021 New Zealand Male Wellington, New Zealand 27 February 1927 19270227 268 Queen Edith’s Way, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom 10 August 2021 20210810

268 Queen Edith’s Way, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom (2021)

Mathematician and statistician Applied mathematics Stochastic nets Mathematics Statistics Mathematical statistics Education: Wellington Boys’ College (1944); University of New Zealand BSC (1947); MSc (1948); Uppsala University PhD (1950) Career: Docent at Uppsala at the Statistics Institute (1949-52); Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) in the Applied Mathematics Laboratory (1953); lecturer in the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge (1959); chair of mathematical statistics at the University of Manchester (1961); Churchill Professor of Mathematics for Operational Research at the University of Cambridge (1967-1994); director of the Cambridge Statistical Laboratory (1973-1986); died from Alzheimer’s disease. Memberships: Hon RSNZ (1981) Awards/Medals: Guy Medal Silver, 1966; Gold, 1996 Sylvester Medal 1994 John von Neumann Theory Prize 1997 Frederick W. Lanchester Prize 1986 Parents: Percy Whittle (1898-1971) and Elsie, née Tregurtha (1905-1993). Spouse: (m. 1951) Käthe Blomquist (d. 2020). Children: Martin, Lorna, Miles, Gregory, Jennifer, and Elsie. Conducted valuable work to clarify and extend the fundamental principles that underpin statistical analysis. Distinguished for his early research on the properties of time series, Peter's work is characterised by a desire to maximise the potential for practical applications. From problems associated with rabbit population growth to complex issues of accounting, his contributions to the study of stochastic processes therefore exerted a significant and wide-reaching impact. Peter cemented this legacy of contributions to the field of statistics through the publication of numerous books and articles. Medals and prizes: Sylvester Medal 1994 Fellow 16/03/1978 51 Sources: The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Peter Whittle FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/peter-whittle-12523/; last accessed: 07/05/2025] Statistical Laboratory, Cambridge University, [URL: https://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~frank/PW/P_Whittle_DNB.pdf; last accessed: 07/05/2025] References: 'Address of the President, Sir Michael Atiyah, OM, Given at the Anniversary Meeting on 30 November 1994' in NR 1995 vol 49 pp 141-151 Robin J H Clark and Michael J Kelly, 'New Zealand, New Zealanders and the Royal Society' in NR 1994 vol 48 pp 263-281 International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Whittle%2C+Peter RCN 16297 RCN 21050 RCN 21051 RCN 16411 RCN 21052 RCN 11347 27 Feb 1927 - The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 07/05/2025 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA7036 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 07/05/2025 RS_NET\VidaM Yes fcb374ee-f866-40ad-9cc7-8a83cef35b8b