Swansea graduate awarded Quantum Advisory Prize for mathematics excellence

The Quantum Advisory Prize for 2024 has been awarded to a Swansea University graduate, recognising their contribution to mathematics.

Hal Peckett, from Exeter, graduated from Swansea University this year with a first class honours degree in Applied Mathematics. Hal was chosen as the recipient of the prize for his dissertation titled ‘The Tragedy of the Commons: Dynamical Systems of Competing Fisheries and Game Theory’.

The Quantum Advisory Prize is an annual award presented by corporate pension and employee benefit experts Quantum Advisory that celebrates mathematics students who have transcended throughout their degree. The award recognises the quality and ambition of their work and, as well as acknowledgement of their effort, recipients benefit from a financial grant to support them as they initiate their career.

In applied mathematics, researchers can apply mathematical methods and specialised subject knowledge to a range of different scientific, economic and industrial fields. In his winning dissertation, Hal applied two mathematical approaches, dynamical systems and game theory, to the field of biology to analyse access and competition surrounding finite resources in fishery settings.

Hal said: “I am incredibly grateful to receive this prize for my final year dissertation. I put a lot of hard work into it, and it was a very challenging undertaking. I thank Quantum Advisory for this award and must also thank my supervisor Dr Noemi Picco for her guidance throughout my project.

“I am going to further specialise in mathematical biology, the area of mathematics on which my dissertation was based, by continuing onto a master’s degree in Biomathematics at Exeter University. It is an area of maths that I had never heard about before coming to Swansea, and it is a topic I am excited to pursue further and develop a career out of. The prize money is a massive help for the transition into my master’s and will help support me while I take on this new challenge.”

Dr Noemi Picco, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at Swansea University, said: “Hal has done a fantastic job developing an excellent piece of work centred around the problem of sharing common finite resources: the ‘tragedy of the commons’. Hal was inquisitive and motivated into exploring how this seemingly simple scenario could be described and analysed mathematically. The end result was an outstanding dissertation which brings together two distinct mathematical approaches: game theory and dynamical systems.

“Hal has successfully navigated his first experience of independent research work, growing in confidence and critical thinking while overcoming obstacles along the way. It has been a pleasure to witness his journey through this project, and the potential for a future as a brilliant researcher.”

Stuart Price, Partner and Actuary at Quantum Advisory, said: “We are proud to support Swansea University graduates as they begin their careers in mathematics and the calibre and talent of their students always greatly impresses us year on year.

“Hal’s project and his approach really stood out this year and we are delighted to award him the Quantum Advisory Prize for his outstanding dissertation. We are delighted to hear that he is progressing his interests in this field further and wish him the very best for his master’s degree.”

Quantum Advisory provides pension and employee benefits services to employers, scheme trustees and members and has offices in Cardiff, Amersham, Birmingham and London. For more information about Quantum Advisory, please visit https://quantumadvisory.co.uk.