David Bedford

Biography

My first degree was in Mathematics and Economics from Surrey University. I then gained an MA in Economics from Essex University before coming to my senses and studying for a PhD in Mathematics back at Surrey. My research centred on using algebraic structures, such as groups, loops and neofields, to construct Latin squares with properties useful in the construction of experimental designs, error-correcting codes and cryptography (but don't tell anyone). Two years into my PhD I took up a lectureship in Statistics and Operational Research at Essex University but my real interest was always in pure mathematics and I came to Keele, following the retirement of Hans Liebeck, as a lecturer in Pure Mathematics in 1992. Since then I have continued my research and am interested in almost any area of mathematics that does not involve differential equations. 

Much of my recent work has been in the area of Mathematics Education. I am an Associate of the Further Maths Support Programme, an examiner for OCR and a member of the Further Mathematics Support Programme Advisory Panel.

I am a member of the steering group of the Stoke-on-Trent Mathematics Excellence Partnership which aims to recruit, train and develop the best Maths teachers for Stoke schools.

Research and scholarship

My main area of research is in the application of algebraic structures, such as groups, quasigroups and neofields, to the construction of combinatorial designs in general and Latin squares in particular. I am currently working on comnjectures surrounding the number of transversals in the Cayley tables of groups

Teaching

• MAT-10039: Calculus I

• MAT-20032: Introduction to Mathematics Education

• MAT-30001: Graph Theory

• MAT-40007: Combinatorial Designs

Admin roles

• Third Year Tutor Team

• EC Panel Chair

Research themes