
Overview
Background
Emeritus Professor Phil Pollett has research interests in Markov process theory, and mathematical modelling in population biology, ecology, epidemiology, chemical kinetics and telecommunications.
He holds an honours degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Adelaide and a PhD degree in Applied Probability from the University of Cambridge. He joined the then Department of Mathematics in 1987 as Senior Lecturer, having previously held positions at the University of Adelaide, Murdoch University and University College of Cardiff. He was promoted to Reader in 1993 and to Professor in 2004.
His research is recognized internationally for significant contributions to Markov process theory, and mathematical modelling. This research has been supported by 12 ARC Large/Discovery/Linkage grants. He is a Chief Investigator within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistics Frontiers (ACEMS), and was a Chief Investigator (2002-2014) within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematics and Statistics of Complex Systems (MASCOS). In 1993, he was awarded the Moran Medal by the Australian Academy of Science for distinguished research in Applied Probability.
Phil Pollett has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of the Australian Mathematical Society, Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability, Stochastic Models, and The Annals of Applied Probability, and has served on the organizing committees of several major international conferences. He devised the Probability Web, recognized as the main Web resource for probabilists throughout the world, and one of the first academic web sites. He has a strong record of innovation in undergraduate teaching, and has guided the development of many postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows through supervision and collaboration.
Availability
- Emeritus Professor Philip Pollett is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Adelaide
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge
- Australian Mathematical Society, Australian Mathematical Society
Works
Search Professor Philip Pollett’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Hawkes Models and Their Applications
Laub, Patrick J., Lee, Young, Pollett, Philip K. and Taimre, Thomas (2025). Hawkes Models and Their Applications. Annual Review of Statistics and Its Application, 12 (1), 233-258. doi: 10.1146/annurev-statistics-112723-034304
2024
Journal Article
An SIS epidemic model with individual variation
Pollett, Philip K. (2024). An SIS epidemic model with individual variation. Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 21 (4), 5446-5455. doi: 10.3934/mbe.2024240
2022
Journal Article
A model for cell proliferation in a developing organism
Pollett, Philip K., Tafakori, Laleh and Taylor, Peter G. (2022). A model for cell proliferation in a developing organism. Journal of Mathematical Biology, 84 (7) 63, 1-22. doi: 10.1007/s00285-022-01769-5
2022
Journal Article
Quasi-stationary distributions for queueing and other models
Pollett, Phil (2022). Quasi-stationary distributions for queueing and other models. Queueing Systems, 100 (3-4), 241-243. doi: 10.1007/s11134-022-09750-1
2020
Journal Article
Normal approximations for discrete-time occupancy processes
Hodgkinson, Liam, McVinish, Ross and Pollett, Philip K. (2020). Normal approximations for discrete-time occupancy processes. Stochastic Processes and their Applications, 130 (10), 6414-6444. doi: 10.1016/j.spa.2020.05.016
2018
Journal Article
Local approximation of a metapopulation's equilibrium
Barbour, A. D., McVinish, R. and Pollett, P. K. (2018). Local approximation of a metapopulation's equilibrium. Journal of Mathematical Biology, 77 (3), 1-29. doi: 10.1007/s00285-018-1231-0
2016
Journal Article
A metapopulation model with Markovian landscape dynamics
McVinish, R., Pollett, P. K. and Chan, Y. S. (2016). A metapopulation model with Markovian landscape dynamics. Theoretical Population Biology, 112, 80-96. doi: 10.1016/j.tpb.2016.08.005
2016
Journal Article
Limiting the spread of disease through altered migration patterns
McVinish, R., Pollett, P. K. and Shausan, A. (2016). Limiting the spread of disease through altered migration patterns. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 393, 60-66. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.12.019
2015
Journal Article
Connecting deterministic and stochastic metapopulation models
Barbour, A.D, McVinish, Ross and Pollett, Philip K (2015). Connecting deterministic and stochastic metapopulation models. Journal of Mathematical Biology, 71 (6), 1481-1504. doi: 10.1007/s00285-015-0865-4
2015
Journal Article
Indirect detection of genetic dispersal (movement and breeding events) through pedigree analysis of dugong populations in southern Queensland, Australia
Cope R. C., Pollett, P. K., Lanyon, J. M. and Seddon, J. M. (2015). Indirect detection of genetic dispersal (movement and breeding events) through pedigree analysis of dugong populations in southern Queensland, Australia. Biological Conservation, 181, 91-101. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2014.11.011
2014
Journal Article
Development and testing of a genetic marker-based pedigree reconstruction system 'PR-genie' incorporating size-class data
Cope, Robert C., Lanyon, Janet M., Seddon, Jennifer M. and Pollett, Philip K. (2014). Development and testing of a genetic marker-based pedigree reconstruction system 'PR-genie' incorporating size-class data. Molecular Ecology Resources, 14 (4), 857-870. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.12219
2014
Journal Article
A closing scheme for finding almost-invariant sets in open dynamical systems
Froyland, Gary, Pollett, Philip K. and Stewart, Robyn M. (2014). A closing scheme for finding almost-invariant sets in open dynamical systems. Journal of Computational Dynamics, 1 (1), 135-162. doi: 10.3934/jcd.2014.1.135
2014
Journal Article
Binomial autoregressive processes with density-dependent thinning
Weiss, Christian H. and Pollett, Philip K. (2014). Binomial autoregressive processes with density-dependent thinning. Journal of Time Series Analysis, 35 (2), 115-132. doi: 10.1002/jtsa.12054
2014
Book Chapter
Distributed fault detection using consensus of Markov chains
Jovanović, Degan P. and Pollett, Philip K. (2014). Distributed fault detection using consensus of Markov chains. Optimization and control methods in industrial engineering and construction. (pp. 85-105) edited by Honglei Xu and Xiangyu Wang. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8044-5_6
2014
Journal Article
A model for a spatially structured metapopulation accounting for within patch dynamics
Smith, Andrew G., McVinish, Ross and Pollett, Philip K. (2014). A model for a spatially structured metapopulation accounting for within patch dynamics. Mathematical Biosciences, 247 (1), 69-79. doi: 10.1016/j.mbs.2013.11.001
2014
Journal Article
The limiting behaviour of Hanski's incidence function metapopulation model
McVinish, R. and Pollett, P. K. (2014). The limiting behaviour of Hanski's incidence function metapopulation model. Journal of Applied Probability, 51 (2), 297-316. doi: 10.1239/jap/1402578626
2013
Journal Article
Quasi-stationary distributions for discrete-state models
van Doorn, Erik A. and Pollett, Philip K. (2013). Quasi-stationary distributions for discrete-state models. European Journal of Operational Research, 230 (1), 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.ejor.2013.01.032
2013
Journal Article
The limiting behaviour of a stochastic patch occupancy model
McVinish, R. and Pollett, P. K. (2013). The limiting behaviour of a stochastic patch occupancy model. Journal of Mathematical Biology, 67 (3), 693-716. doi: 10.1007/s00285-012-0568-z
2013
Journal Article
Optimal design of experimental epidemics
Pagendam, D. E. and Pollett, P. K. (2013). Optimal design of experimental epidemics. Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference, 143 (3), 563-572. doi: 10.1016/j.jspi.2012.09.011
2013
Journal Article
Special issue: modelling for decision making in ecological systems - preface
Bean, N. G., Pollett, P. K., Ross, J. V. and Taylor, P. G. (2013). Special issue: modelling for decision making in ecological systems - preface. Ecological Modelling, 249, 1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.07.034
Funding
Supervision
Availability
- Emeritus Professor Philip Pollett is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Completed supervision
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Approximations for finite spin systems and occupancy processes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ross McVinish
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
A Model for the Spread of an SIS Epidemic in a Human Population
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ross McVinish
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Spatially structured metapopulation models within static and dynamic environments
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ross McVinish
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Fault Detection in Complex and Distributed Systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ross McVinish
-
2011
Doctor Philosophy
Analytical methods for stochastic discrete-time metapopulation models
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ross McVinish
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2008
Master Philosophy
TOPICS IN QUASISTATIONARITY FOR MARKOV CHAINS
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Dirk Kroese
-
2007
Doctor Philosophy
DENSITY DEPENDENT MARKOV POPULATION PROCESSES: MODELS AND METHODOLOGY
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
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2006
Doctor Philosophy
TRIGONOMETRIC SCORES RANK PROCEDURES WITH APPLICATIONS TO LONG-TAILED DISTRIBUTIONS
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Dirk Kroese
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2005
Doctor Philosophy
HITTING TIMES FOR MARKOV POPULATION PROCESSES SUBJECT TO CATASTROPHES
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
2002
Doctor Philosophy
FIXED POINT METHODS FOR LOSS NETWORKS
Principal Advisor
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Modelling heavy-tails with phase-type scale mixture distributions
Associate Advisor
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Animal movement between populations based on family trees - a test case on dugongs in southern Queensland
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Janet Lanyon
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2009
Doctor Philosophy
Stochastic Modelling and Intervention of the Spread of HIV/AIDS
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Dirk Kroese
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2009
Doctor Philosophy
Advances in Cross-Entropy Methods
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Dirk Kroese
-
2007
Doctor Philosophy
VOLUME WEIGHTED AVERAGE PRICE OPTION
Associate Advisor
-
2007
Doctor Philosophy
LONG TIME SCALE PATH INTEGRAL MOLECULAR DYNAMICS FROM EQUATIONS OF MOTION
Associate Advisor
-
2006
Doctor Philosophy
OPTIMAL MONITORING AND HARVESTING OF A WILD POPULATION UNDER UNCERTAINTY
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
Media
Enquiries
Contact Emeritus Professor Philip Pollett directly for media enquiries about:
- Gambling - mathematics
- Lotto - mathematics
- Markov chains - mathematics
- Probability - mathematics
- Stochastic processes - mathematics
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