Professor Noel Frederick Smyth, has died in Edinburgh, Scotland, aged sixty four on the 5th February 2023.

Noel was a Professor of Nonlinear Waves in the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests included numerous aspects associated with nonlinear waves, nonlinear optics, optical fibers and photonics. He had published over 150 journal articles with an h-index of 30. Throughout his career Noel maintained extensive research collaborations with numerous co-authors, comprising many leading experts and past and present post-doctoral fellows and doctoral students. His work centered on the use of sophisticated theoretical techniques to develop approximate solutions that describe solitary wave evolution and undular bores, for applications involving water waves and optical materials.

Noel grew up and attended school in Brisbane, Queensland. Although extremely proud of his Australian and Queensland heritage, he would often relate stories concerning the brutality of other school children that was directed at his mathematical prowess. He attended the Toowong State High School, to become Dux of his year, received both the Mathematics and Science School Prizes and topped the state in these subjects.

In 1979, he graduated from the University of Queensland with a First-Class Honours Degree, the University Medal and a prestigious PhD Scholarship from the California Institute of Technology to undertake a PhD degree with Professor G. B. Whitam. Both his degree from the University of Queensland combined with his course and PhD work at the California Institute of Technology provided Noel with the depth and the confidence to move forward as a mathematical researcher of the first rank.

He held post-doctoral positions both in the United States at CALTECH, and in Australia at the Universities of New South Wales and Melbourne, working in Australia with Professor Roger Grimshaw. In early 1987 he arrived at the University of Wollongong to take up the position of Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, and very soon ignited activity and discussion in Applied Mathematics becoming an enthusiastic colleague for collaboration.

Noel very quickly was successful in gaining an ARC Large Grant on the research topic of the undular bore waves that occur in the Gulf of Carpentaria. These funds supported the appointment of Dr Tim Marchant as a post-doctoral fellow. At the University of Wollongong, Noel was a key member in a small group of Applied Mathematicians working on the mathematical modeling and the then novel problems associated with microwave heating. While at the University of Wollongong, Noel attended the three ANZIAM conferences 1988-90, held at Leura, Ballarat and Coolangatta respectively.

Noel was an ardent enthusiast for all things Scottish, and in 1990 he successfully applied for a Lectureship in the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh and took up this position later in that year. He remained at the University of Edinburgh, subsequently becoming Senior Lecturer, Reader and finally full Professor in 2009. In 1996 he married Julie and they had a son Calum.

After leaving for Scotland, Noel maintained strong links with his Australian colleagues, visiting on a yearly basis. For many years, he held both honorary and visiting positions at the University of Wollongong and was a co-supervisor of PhD graduates there. Noel was very generous with his time, and undertook collaborative research with many academics and students in Australia and across the world. He was an enthusiastic world traveller, a keen tourist, and was a platinum frequent flyer. Noel organized a series of conferences, on nonlinear waves and optics, in interesting locations-India, Turkey, Spain, Morocco, Mexico, Scotland and Wollongong.

One of the present writers (TM) was fortunate enough to attend most of these meetings with Noel, and fondly remembers the tourist excursions, such as the trip to the Gallipoli peninsula. At the end of the Gallipoli excursion there were no transport options available, and it seemed as if the party faced a 15km walk back to the hotel. However, thanks to a kind bus driver, the tourists were saved the ordeal of a long trudge home.

Noel was a very gifted linguist, being fluent in both Scottish Gaelic and Spanish, and with knowledge of both German and Italian. He learnt Gaelic before leaving for Scotland, while he acquired the Spanish language during his regular visits to Mexico City to collaborate with Professor A. A. Minzoni.

In all respects Noel was an extremely generous and open person. For Noel a “spade” would always be a “spade”, and he believed there was considerable merit in providing his frank and honest assessment of situations. He was certainly not afraid of giving his opinion in a forthright manner, and in a public forum, no matter the sensitivity of the topic. However, his colleagues very much appreciated and valued his generous and open disposition, and the present writers were only two of the beneficiaries of that kindness amongst many others.

Noel will be sorely missed in missed in many parts of the world, and we extend our deepest condolences to his wife Julie, son Calum and his other family.

Professor Tim Marchant, Universities of Melbourne and Wollongong / Emeritus Professor James Hill, Universities of Wollongong and South Australia