My research achievements in symbolic computation to date are largely embodied in the CAMAL and REDUCE algebra systems, and the Cambridge LISP and EuLISP systems. In the last few years I have created a central rôle for myself in music software with Csound.
Over the years, as well as being a member of research groups in Cambridge and Utah, I have directed research teams in Cambridge and Bath, and some of my students have continued as significant researchers in their own right.
When I moved to Bath in 1980 the university's involvement in computer science was almost limited to analogue and hybrid computing as parts of engineering projects. In the first five years I was in Bath, by a combination of recruitment policy, teaching schedules, equipment purchases and academic leadership, and considerable support from above, I took the computing group from almost nothing to an internationally known one, and we obtained a middle-ranking assessment at the first UGC research selectivity exercise. Although I relinquished direct leadership of the group in 1985 to Dr P. J. Willis, I think that I can still claim some credit for the grade 4 we received in the second research selectivity exercise (I wrote the documentation). We had have both a national and international reputation, and two of my recruits to Bath (Dr (now Professor) Davenport and Dr Padget, both sometime research students of mine) were a significant part of this reputation, together with Professor P. J. Willis (who I encouraged with resources, and who was promoted to a personal chair in 1993) and myself. Our research rating was a 5 in the 1996 exercise, the smallest department so graded; again I wrote the document and was Head of Group for much of the relevant period. Unlike the earlier cycles, for the 2001 RAE, where our grade reduced to 4, I was not Head of Group for any of the period and I did not write the document; we were also a substantially changed organisation not based on my vision, nor following the style I had pioneered.
It is worth noting that for the first four years in addition to my academic position, I was also Head of the Computer Unit (University Computing Service), and was responsible for introducing a campus-wide teaching service (for which I was also a member of the technical programming team), introduction of UNIX, and installation of the first campus network.
In the last years in Bath a number of appointments have been made (without my involvement) which have moved the focus of computing in Bath from the direction I had pursued.
In summary I feel justified in claiming that my time in Bath until 1997 has demonstrated my ability to create a coherent team of high-quality researchers, and to engender a research-culture.
This team also has developed the teaching of computing within a mathematical context, resulting in the Computer Software Technology degree and an M.Sc. in Symbolic Computation. My own teaching frequently received good reports from the students (``the best lectures in four years'', ``makes any subject seem exciting''), and I welcome project students in a wide selection of areas, and until recently usually had the largest number in the School/Department. Most of the teaching innovation in Bath, in structure and content has come from myself and Dr Padget.
I place a strong emphasis on teamwork and cooperation, and believe deeply that research is a cooperative activity, requiring an environment of trust. I consider that I have demonstrated the ability to get others to achieve, including in subjects I do not personally like. I have also acted for the reputation of the Group, for example in taking over the production of two conference proceedings, where the designated editor (from Bath) would not make time to do so. One of these has my name attached; the other does not.