By Bruce Auld
News Review Correspondent
“The work I do as an artist complements and contrasts with my work as a pure mathematician. Art helps me to develop the right side of my brain in a way that mathematics cannot, although there are elements of each in both. The two disciplines are intrinsically connected – – my paintings seek to explore these connections.” Dr. Banks donates the proceeds from his art sales to several charities. (BINKBALLS Website)
“William D. Banks is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Missouri. His area of specialization is ‘Number Theory,’ which is concerned with whole numbers, especially primes. With over 100 research articles in literature, Banks has produced an extensive and diverse collection of results in both algebraic and analytic number theory, and in applied areas such as representation theory and cryptography. Banks collaborates with top researchers in the field, and his work has been supported by the National Science Foundation.
At present, Banks’ work revolves around the Riemann zeta function, Dirichlet L-functions, sieve theory, and estimates of exponential sums.
As an instructor, Banks constantly strives to bring out the best in his students. He cares deeply about their future success. In 2003, Banks received the Provost Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award.
Banks also owns and operates BINKBALLS – a Missouri company that offers for sale his works of art, raising money for various charitable causes. Founded in 2018 (William Banks)
William graduated from Burroughs in 1982. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from CalTech in 1986 and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Stanford University in 1994.
This profile was suggested by Dr. Carl Brune.
