Floyd Williams

In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

It was in his sophomore year that he became intrigued by the theory of relativity, which turned out to be his main motivation for studying mathematics. In 1972 he completed his Ph.D. from Washington University where his thesis was in the field of Lie theory. He was an instructor and lecturer at MIT from 1972–1975, before moving to the University of Massachusetts Amherst as an assistant professor in 1975. In 1983 he received an MRI grant to continuing researching in this field, ushering him into the mainstream of mathematics.

Floyd Leroy Williams (born September 20, 1939) is a North American mathematician well known for his work in Lie theory and, most recently, mathematical physics. In addition to Lie theory, his research interests are in homological algebra and the mathematics of quantum mechanics. He received his B.S.(1962) in Mathematics from Lincoln University of Missouri, and later his M.S.(1965) and Ph.D.(1972) from Washington University in St. Louis. Williams was appointed professor of mathematics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1984, and has been professor emeritus since 2005. Williams' accomplishments earned him recognition by Mathematically Gifted & Black as a Black History Month 2019 Honoree.

Floyd Williams was born on September 20, 1939, and lived in Kansas City, Missouri. He was raised in extreme poverty. His mother told him not to complain about their situation, but rather to have faith in God and work hard. Her advice was taken, and it worked. He eventually was ordained in addition to being a mathematician.