Skip to main content
Log in

Brian Griffiths (1927–2008) – his pioneering contributions to mathematics and education

  • Published:
Educational Studies in Mathematics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Brian Griffiths (1927–2008) was a British mathematician and educator who served as a member of the founding editorial board of Educational Studies in Mathematics. As a mathematician, Griffiths is remembered through his work on what continue to be known as ‘Griffiths-type’ topological spaces. As a mathematics educator, his most profound contribution was, with Geoffrey Howson, in offering a conceptualisation of the relationship between mathematics, society and curricula.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
€32.70 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Finland)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armitage, J. V., & Griffiths, H. B. (1969). A companion to advanced mathematics: Algebra and analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, P., & d’Inverno, R. (2004). Those who can, teach: Addressing the crisis in mathematics in UK schools and universities. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 56(2–3), 343–357. doi:10.1023/B:EDUC.0000040392.42967.fb.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, P., & d’Inverno, R. (2005). The future of the discipline? Mathematics and the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 8(4), 329–342. doi:10.1007/s10857-005-0856-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1954). The fundamental group of two spaces with a common point. The Quarterly Journal of Mathematics, 5(1), 175–190 (with correction 1955: ibid. 6(1), 154–155). doi:10.1093/qmath/5.1.175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1956). Infinite products of semi-groups and local connectivity. Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society, 3-6(3), 455–456. doi:10.1112/plms/s3-6.3.455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1966). Mathematics, hedgehogs and foxes: An inaugural lecture delivered at the university on 24th May 1966. Southampton: University of Southampton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1967). Topology (Mathematics Teaching Reprint). Derby: ATM (Reprinted from the journal Mathematics Teaching, issues 27–29).

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1968). Pure mathematicians as teachers of applied mathematicians. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 1(1–2), 18–23. doi:10.1007/BF00426227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1971). Mathematical insight and mathematical curricula. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 4(2), 153–165. doi:10.1007/BF00303381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1976). Surfaces. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1978). Some comments on Macdonald’s paper. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 9(4), 411–427. doi:10.1007/BF00410587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1983). Simplification and complexity in mathematics education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 14(3), 297–317. doi:10.1007/BF00410544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1998). The British experience of teaching geometry since 1900. In C. Mammana, & V. Villani (Eds.), Perspectives on the teaching of geometry for the 21st century (pp. 194–203). Dordrecht: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (1999). Fudge and fiddlesticks: a century after. In C. Hoyles, C. Morgan, & G. Woodhouse (Eds.), Rethinking the mathematics curriculum (pp. 174–183). London: Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B. (2002). Could mathematics become decadent? Dortmund Lecture, December 2002.

  • Griffiths, H. B., & Hilton, J. P. (1970). A comprehensive textbook of classical mathematics: A contemporary interpretation. London: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B., & Howson, A. G. (1974). Mathematics: Society and curricula. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B., & McLone, R. R. (1984a). A critical analysis of university examinations in mathematics I. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 15(3), 291–311. doi:10.1007/BF00312079.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B., & McLone, R. R. (1984b). A critical analysis of university examinations in mathematics II. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 15(4), 423–442. doi:10.1007/BF00311116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, H. B., & Oldknow, A. (1993). Mathematics of models: Continuous and discrete dynamical systems. London: Ellis Horwood.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to a number of people who worked closely with Brian Griffiths for their generous time in sharing their recollections and evaluations of Griffiths’ work and contribution to mathematics and to education, especially Geoffrey Howson but also David Chillingworth, Keith Hirst, Gareth Jones, David Singerman, and Tim Rowland.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keith Jones.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jones, K., Mamona-Downs, J. Brian Griffiths (1927–2008) – his pioneering contributions to mathematics and education. Educ Stud Math 69, 283–286 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9153-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9153-1

Keywords

Navigation