Robin Cockett

Robin Cockett
Cockett in 2004
Born	(1952-05-04) May 4, 1952 (age 72) Surrey, United Kingdom
Alma mater	University of Warwick (BSc, 1974) University of Leeds (PhD, 1979)
Spouse	Polly Lee Knowlton Cockett ​ ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	Grayson Rowan Audrey Lane
Scientific career
Fields	Category theory Quantum programming
Institutions	University of Calgary University of Tennessee
Thesis	Injectives and Localizations in Category Theory (1979)
Doctoral advisor	Alfred Goldie

James Robin Bernard Cockett (born May 4, 1952)^[1] is a British computer scientist and professor at the University of Calgary.^[2]

Cockett received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Warwick in 1974,^[3] and earned his PhD from the University of Leeds in 1979 for his research in injectives and localizations in category theory, studying under Alfred Goldie.^[4]

Cockett has been a professor of computer science at the University of Calgary since 1991, previously holding the title of professor at the University of Tennessee.^[5][6]

Cockett works primarily in the fields of category theory, categorical programming, and quantum programming.^[3] Cockett is a member of the organizing committee for the Foundational Methods in Computer Science (FMCS) conference,^[3] an annual workshop for researchers in theoretical computer science and category theory supported by the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS).^[7]

His most cited publications^[2] include:

• Weakly distributive categories^[8]
• Restriction categories I: categories of partial maps^[9]
• Differential categories^[10]
• Cartesian differential categories^[11]
• Differential structure, tangent structure, and SDG^[12]

Cockett has been married to fellow University of Calgary professor Polly Knowlton Cockett since 1984,^[13] they have three children together: Audrey Lane, Rowan, and Grayson.^[14] Cockett is an avid cross-country skier, taking part in the Canadian Birkebeiner on more than one occasion,^[15][16] as well as volunteering as an instructor.^[14]

Cockett and his wife have volunteered for numerous environmentally-focused initiatives, including as lecturers for the Calgary Parks Biodiversity Conservation program at Nose Hill Park,^[14] and with the Alberta Wilderness Association,^[14] where his family's work earned them an award from the city of Calgary.^[14]