Citation for Tony Roberts

The ANZIAM Medal Committee recommends that Emeritus Professor A.J. (Tony) Roberts from the University of Adelaide be awarded the 2023 ANZIAM Medal, for his international research leadership, his unending efforts to promote and enhance applied mathematics, and his major contributions to ANZIAM, especially his initiation and guidance of the Electronic Supplement of the ANZIAM Journal.

Tony's research in modelling the emergent dynamics of complex multiscale dynamical systems is an influential and enduring contribution to Applied Mathematics. Researchers around the world continue to apply concepts and techniques Tony initiated in the past 4 decades of research, based on the description of centre-manifolds to provide low-dimensional modelling for deterministic and stochastic systems and for continuum and discrete models. Recent innovations include rigorous techniques for models with multiple-scales, specifically for models in large thin domains with slowly varying dynamics. He has provided free, fast and flexible computer-algebra algorithms (implemented in the REDUCE computer algebra system), shown how normal form transforms provide slow and fast modes in stochastic systems, and contributed to ``equation-free'' modelling for computation that provides evolution of complicated microscopic systems at a macroscopic scale.

Professor Emeritus Tony Roberts

Tony actively promotes and supports applied mathematics. In addition to outreach and local academic roles as Head and Associate Dean, he has contributed to applied mathematics in Australia in an enormous number of roles, including as a member of the Council of the AustMS since 1993, and a member of the ARC College of Experts. He has also written 4 books to make mathematics accessible to practical modellers, engineers and scientists.

In Tony's long record of service, particular attention should be given to his extraordinary contributions to ANZIAM. Not only has Tony directed, coordinated or served on the committee for 3 ANZIAM meetings, he also founded the Electronic Supplement of the ANZIAM J in 1997, and has run it ever since. When it started, there were almost no other online mathematics journals. Under Tony's stewardship, this Electronic Supplement remains one of the few journals that publishes movies and interactive graphics, and implements protection against wanton copying and plagiarism. He instigated, trialled, and manages the Open Journal System for most articles submitted to the AustMS and pioneered the free electronic publication of all back issues of AustMS journals. Tony is also co-editor of many EMAC, CTAC and MISG proceedings, and supported others in their editing of these proceedings. Through these roles, and in a series of articles in the Gazette of the AustMS, he has encouraged and informed the community to adopt the highest standard of typesetting and writing.

For all these reasons, we unanimously recommend that Professor Tony Roberts be awarded the 2023 ANZIAM Medal. Congratulations Tony!