The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences is pleased to celebrate ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ as our Spotlight Member of the Week.
What happens when an equation describing a real system cannot be solved exactly?
For mathematicians like Dr. Adeyeye, that is not where the problem ends. It is where another kind of mathematics begins.
Dr. Adeyeye's academic career has been shaped by numerical mathematics, the branch of mathematics that develops methods for solving difficult equations when exact answers are not readily available. Behind those equations are real questions about growth, change, motion, prediction, interaction, and uncertainty. These are the kinds of questions mathematics quietly helps us understand every day.
Dr. Adeyeye is currently a Senior Lecturer at Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, where she teaches mathematics, statistics, linear algebra, differential equations, optimisation, numerical methods, and research methodology. Before joining Caleb University, she served as a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia, where she taught courses including calculus, discrete mathematics, statistics, and numerical analysis.
Her journey into mathematics began with Industrial Mathematics. She obtained both her B.Tech. and M.Tech. degrees in Industrial Mathematics from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, before earning a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Universiti Utara Malaysia in 2017.
Her doctoral research focused on generalised k step block methods for the direct solution of higher order ordinary differential equations, building on earlier postgraduate work involving Chebyshev polynomials and numerical solutions of ordinary differential equations.
At first glance, this may sound abstract. But differential equations are used to describe how things change. They appear in models of population growth, disease dynamics, engineering systems, fluid behaviour, economics, heat transfer, and many other scientific processes.
The difficulty is that many of these equations do not come with simple exact answers.
This is where numerical analysis becomes useful.
Instead of forcing an exact solution where one may not exist in a convenient form, numerical mathematicians design methods that approximate the answer while keeping accuracy, stability, and efficiency in view. Dr. Adeyeyeโs research has contributed to this area through block methods, hybrid methods, higher derivative schemes, and numerical techniques for ordinary and fuzzy differential equations.
Her work shows one of the most interesting things about mathematics. An equation can begin as symbols on a page and end up helping us understand a real system.
Across her research, numerical methods have been connected to applications involving HIV infection models, agricultural and economic growth, population models, fluid flow, heat transfer, fuzzy systems, and other scientific problems.
Her current research continues this connection between mathematical theory and real world application. One of her ongoing studies focuses on parameter estimation and the analysis of predator prey differential equations in economic growth. It is a good example of how mathematics can move from one field to another, showing that a model developed to study interacting biological populations can also inspire ways of thinking about interacting economic variables.
Dr. Adeyeyeโs academic journey has also received recognition. In 2017, she received the Best Thesis Award at the 30th Universiti Utara Malaysia Convocation Ceremony. She was also a recipient of the Universiti Utara Malaysia Postgraduate Scholarship Award.
Her contribution to science goes beyond research and teaching. She currently serves as Section Editor in Chief of Recent Advances in Natural Sciences, previously served as an Editor of the Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences, and has contributed as a reviewer for international refereed journals since 2017.
Teaching and mentorship are also important parts of her journey. She has supervised numerous undergraduate research projects and has also participated in postgraduate supervision. For her, teaching is not only about explaining formulas. It is about helping students understand why the formulas matter and how mathematical thinking can be used to approach difficult problems.
One personal philosophy that guides her is:
โTo thine own self be true.โ
It is a simple statement, but it carries a strong message about integrity, self awareness, and staying true to oneโs values even as circumstances change.
Away from research, Dr. Adeyeye enjoys tutoring and listening to music, interests that reflect her love for learning, sharing knowledge, and finding balance outside academic work.
Her long term scientific vision is inspired by the familiar idea of โstanding on the shoulders of giants.โ She hopes that the work she produces today will become part of the foundation upon which future researchers build their own discoveries.
That ambition reflects the way mathematics grows. One researcher develops a method. Another improves it. Someone else applies it to a different problem. In this way, knowledge continues to build from one contribution to another.
The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences proudly celebrates Dr. Oluwaseun Adeyeye for her contributions to numerical analysis, differential equations, mathematical modelling, scientific publishing, teaching, and mentorship.
Her journey reminds us that mathematics is not always about finding an answer at the end of an equation. Sometimes the real achievement is creating a better way to reach that answer.
And when that happens, one mathematical idea can become the beginning of many more.