Robert May (1936–2020)

Abstract

May was forceful on many issues, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), genetically modified crops, climate change, homeopathy and infectious diseases. May showed that, for populations with discrete generations, the same model (a non-linear difference equation) could produce stability, cycles of increase and decrease, or chaotic fluctuations, depending on its parameters. The insights generated by his modelling included recommendations, now paying dividends, that the interconnectedness of the banking system should be limited and that the capital reserves of banks should be increased to promote greater stability.