Mathematics research recognised as best in field

We are proud to announce that research performed by academics in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at UNSW Sydney has featured as top of field by The Australian’s 2026 Research magazine.

The annual publication identifies the top researcher and top research institution across 250 fields of inquiry, based on research quality and impact. The magazine’s objective is to offer the research community salient information to help them analyse and improve their efforts, and it also endeavours to highlight the achievements of Australian researchers to the broader public.

21 discipline areas spanning Physics and Mathematics featured in this year’s publication, revealing UNSW Sydney as the Leading Research Institution in the Field for both Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Analysis.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that UNSW has earned the leading spot for Computational Mathematics, and second year in a row for Mathematical Analysis. 

UNSW Mathematics and Statistics has traditionally performed strongly in the publication’s rankings. Across eight years of the report, UNSW has been designated Field Leader for Computational Mathematics seven times, while Algebra, Mathematical Analysis, and Mathematical Optimisation have also featured numerous times.

Additionally, several School members have been ranked as Leading Researchers in the Field, including Vaithilingam Jeya Jeyakumar (Mathematical Optimisation), Frances Kuo (Computational Mathematics), Guoyin Li (Mathematical Optimisation – recognised twice), and Fedor Sukochev (Mathematical Analysis – recognised twice). 

Emeritus Professor Ian Sloan commented on the sustained success of the Computational Mathematics researchers in the School.

“I am delighted to see that for the fifth year in a row the Computational Mathematics Group at UNSW has been recognised as the national leader in Computational Mathematics.

“At UNSW we are lucky to have an outstanding group of researchers supported by a collegial School that itself sparkles with excellence. Long may this continue”, Professor Sloan said.

“Our group benefits from a combination of youthful energy and experience.”

Speaking on behalf of the School’s Mathematical Analysis researchers, Scientia Professor Fedor Sukochev also shared his joy at achieving the 2026 top ranking.

“Our Analysis group at UNSW continues to make strong contributions across several interconnected areas of modern analysis. Our work spans noncommutative analysis, the geometry of Banach spaces, differential geometry, and noncommutative geometry, with researchers collaborating locally and internationally on problems at the interface of functional analysis, operator algebras, and mathematical physics”, he said.

“I'm delighted that UNSW has again been recognised as the leading Australian institution in Mathematical Analysis. This recognition reflects the sustained work of a vibrant community of researchers - my colleagues, postdoctoral fellows, and students - whose contributions shape the field both in Australia and internationally. We remain committed to advancing the foundations of Analysis and deepening our understanding of mathematical structures that lie at the heart of many areas of pure and applied mathematics.”

A very warm congratulations to our Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Analysis researchers on this latest, well-deserved acknowledgement of excellence.