Duncan Farquharson Gregory

Duncan Farquharson Gregory
Duncan F. Gregory
Full name Duncan Farquharson Gregory
Born 13 April 1813
Aberdeen, Scotland
Died February 23, 1844(1844-02-23) (aged 30)
Canaan Lodge, Edinburgh
School/tradition Trinity College, Cambridge
Main interests Mathematician
Notable ideas Examples of the Processes of the Differential and Integral Calculus
Major works The Mathematical Writings of D. F. Gregory, M.A.

Duncan Farquharson Gregory (13 April 1813 – 23 February 1844), a Scottish mathematician, was the youngest son of James Gregory (1753–1821) and Isabella Macleod (1772–1847).

Contents

Education

He was born in Aberdeen and originally taught by his mother. In October 1825 he was sent to the Edinburgh Academy, and after two years of study spent a winter at a private academy in Geneva. While there his mathematical talent attracted attention, specifically geometry. On his return to Scotland, he attended classes at the Edinburgh University, working at chemistry, making experiments in polarised light, and advancing in the higher parts of mathematics, guided by Professor Wallace, his mentor. In October 1833 he commenced residence at Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned fifth wrangler in the tripos of 1837. He took the degrees of B.A. in 1838 and M.A. in 1841.[1] He was elected fellow of Trinity College in October 1840.[2]

Mathematics

Initially recognized for his essay The Foundations of Algebra presented to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1838. Upon completing his degrees, he served as Moderator in 1842, examiner through May 1843 and was also appointed assistant tutor.[3] At the suggestion of his friend, Archibald Smith, he founded and was the first editor of the Cambridge Mathematical Journal in November 1837, helped by Robert Leslie Ellis who succeeded him as editor.[4][5] Many of his articles for the CMJ were collected in The Mathematical Writings of D. F. Gregory, edited by his friend and colleague William Walton. In 1841 he published his Examples of the Processes of the Differential and Integral Calculus, which expanded the earlier work of John Herschel, George Peacock and Charles Babbage to include the mathematics used to describe discontinuities observed in heat transfer explored by Franch mathematician Joseph Fourier, and the theory of undulatory light, a topic familiar to him.[6] He was elected a member of the Philological Society 12 May 1843.[7]

Other Disciplines

Acting as tutor, Duncan Gregory was also an examiner of his college and lectured occasionally in chemistry. Two of his papers explored the physics of pendulums (clockmakers) and were written with Mr. Archibald Smith.[8] (On the Sympathy of Pendulums, See pp. 175–86, Mathematical Writings of D.F. Gregory.)

Illness

His circumstances did not allow him to accept the Mathematical Chair at the University of Toronto offered in 1841. Illness overtook him the next year. Incapacitated, he left Cambridge in the spring of 1843, and died in Edinburgh the following February, at 30 years of age.[9]

Family

Duncan Farquharson Gregory never married. He was the youngest son of eleven children. His older brother William, like his father, was a chemist and physician. His great-great-grandfather James Gregory, the mathematician, designed the Gregorian telescope. James's nephew, David Gregory, was appointed a professor of mathematics at the University of Edinburgh in 1683.

Published Works

Notes

  1. ^ Graduati Cantabrigienses, p. 133, 1846. Gregory, Duncan Farquharson in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
  2. ^ The Mathematical and Other Writings of R.L. Ellis, ed. by W. Walton, pp. 194-8, (Cambridge, 1863).
  3. ^ The Cambridge University calendar, Volumes 1909-1910, pp. 117-18. (Cambridge, 1870).
  4. ^ Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, by Sir Robert Christison, pp. 284-5, (Edinburgh, 1875).
  5. ^ The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science Vol. XXVII Jan.-Jun. 1864, p. 140, (London University, 1864).
  6. ^ Mathematical Writings of Ellis, pp. 198-9.
  7. ^ Proceedings - Philological Society (Great Britain), Volume 1, No. 9, (London, 1844).
  8. ^ Philosophical Magazine Vol. XXXI Jan.-Jun. 1866, p. 77, (London University, 1866).
  9. ^ Mathematical Writings of Ellis, p. 200.
  10. ^ Proceedings C.P.S., The Foundation and Early years of the Society by John Willis Clark, delivered 27 October 1890, pp. xliii. xliv. (Cambridge, 1892).

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Grégory — Gregory Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Le nom de Gregory est porté par plusieurs personnalités, soit comme nom de famille, soit comme prénom : Sommaire 1 Personnalités ayant… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gregory — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Gregory est un nom propre qui peut désigner : Sommaire 1 Prénom et patronyme 2 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • James Gregory (physician) — James Gregory (January 1753 – 2 April 1821), a Scottish physician, was the eldest son of John Gregory (1724 1773) and Elizabeth Forbes (d. 1761). He was born in Aberdeen.MarriagesHe married twice. His first wife, Mary Ross, died in 1784. They had …   Wikipedia

  • Marcus Aurelius — Not to be confused with Aurelian. Marcus Aurelius 16th Emperor of the Roman Empire Bust of Marcus Aurelius in the Glyptothek, Munich …   Wikipedia

  • 2010 New Year Honours — The New Year Honours 2010, principally for the United Kingdom but also the Commonwealth Realms, were announced on 31 December 2009[1] to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2010. The 2010 New Year Honours were unusual in that none …   Wikipedia

  • Clan MacAulay — This article is about the Clan MacAulay. For the unrelated clan from the Isle of Lewis, see Macaulay of Lewis Clan MacAulay Crest badge …   Wikipedia

  • New Year Honours 1997 — The New Year Honours 1997 for the United Kingdom and Hong Kong were announced on 31 December, 1996, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1997.The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new… …   Wikipedia

  • 1997 New Year Honours — The New Year Honours 1997 for the United Kingdom and Hong Kong were announced on 31 December 1996, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1997. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new… …   Wikipedia

  • Clan Gregor — Crest badge …   Wikipedia

  • Clan Mackinnon — Crest badge Crest: A boar s head erased, argent, holding in its mouth a deer s shankbone, proper.[1] A Mackinnon legend that is supposed to explain t …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”