Spearheading a mathematical approach to solve business problems

Professor Ryan Loxton, a mathematician from Curtin University’s School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences, is taking mathematics into new domains with an ARC Future Fellowship that tackles complexity in business decision-making with rigorous mathematical theory.

Professor Loxton’s research uses mathematical techniques to solve real-world problems by optimising processes in the oil and gas, agriculture, and mining industries, and making them more efficient, cost-effective and less environmentally damaging.

Professor Loxton has worked on a number of collaborative projects with industry partners, and as a Chief Investigator and theme leader at the ARC Training Centre for Transforming Maintenance through Data Science, he is working with a team of researchers to analyse maintenance data and develop optimal strategies for long-term maintenance planning. This research is a collaborative effort with the Training Centre’s partner organisations which include Alcoa Ltd, BHP Billiton and Roy Hill Holdings.

At the Training Centre, Professor Loxton supervises two postdoctoral researchers, one PhD student, and one honours student, and he is a mentor for other junior researchers in the centre, providing opportunities for them to get involved in applied mathematics projects with industry partners to complement their academic experience

	“Trying to find mathematical patterns and solutions that may improve business operations and processes for industry is a challenging, but rewarding task,” says professor loxton"

 

Image: Professor Ryan Loxton. Image Credit: Curtin University