Isaac Todhunter
Encyclopedia
Isaac Todhunter FRS (23 November 1820 – 1 March 1884), was an English
mathematician
who is best known today for the books he wrote on mathematics and its history.
minister, and Mary née Hume, he was born at Rye
, Sussex
.
He was educated at Hastings
, where his mother had opened a school after the death of his father in 1826. He became an assistant master at a school at Peckham
, attending at the same time evening classes at the University College, London where he was influenced by Augustus De Morgan
. In 1842 he obtained a mathematical scholarship and graduated as B.A. at London University
, where he was awarded the gold medal on the M.A. examination. About this time he became mathematical master at a school at Wimbledon.
In 1844 Todhunter entered St John's College, Cambridge
, where he was senior wrangler in 1848, and gained the first Smith's prize
and the Burney prize; and in 1849 he was elected to a fellowship, and began his life of college lecturer and private tutor. In 1862 he was made a fellow of the Royal Society
, and in 1865 a member of the Mathematical Society of London. In 1871 he gained the Adams prize
and was elected to the council of the Royal Society
. He was elected honorary fellow of St John's in 1874, having resigned his fellowship on his marriage in 1864. In 1880 his eyesight began to fail, and shortly afterwards he was attacked with paralysis.
He was a sound Latin and Greek scholar, familiar with French, German, Spanish, Italian, and also Russian, Hebrew, and Sanskrit. He was well versed in the history of philosophy, and on three occasions acted as examiner for the moral sciences tripos.
An unfinished work, The History of the Theory of Elasticity, was edited and published posthumously in 1886 by Karl Pearson
. Todhunter also published keys to the problems in his textbooks on algebra
and trigonometry
; and a biographical work on William Whewell
(1876), in addition to many original papers in scientific journals.
Some of these are available at Isaac Todhunter's publications at Google Books.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
who is best known today for the books he wrote on mathematics and its history.
Life and work
The son of George Todhunter, a NonconformistNonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
minister, and Mary née Hume, he was born at Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
He was educated at Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, where his mother had opened a school after the death of his father in 1826. He became an assistant master at a school at Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, attending at the same time evening classes at the University College, London where he was influenced by Augustus De Morgan
Augustus De Morgan
Augustus De Morgan was a British mathematician and logician. He formulated De Morgan's laws and introduced the term mathematical induction, making its idea rigorous. The crater De Morgan on the Moon is named after him....
. In 1842 he obtained a mathematical scholarship and graduated as B.A. at London University
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, where he was awarded the gold medal on the M.A. examination. About this time he became mathematical master at a school at Wimbledon.
In 1844 Todhunter entered St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, where he was senior wrangler in 1848, and gained the first Smith's prize
Smith's Prize
The Smith's Prize was the name of each of two prizes awarded annually to two research students in theoretical Physics, mathematics and applied mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.- History :...
and the Burney prize; and in 1849 he was elected to a fellowship, and began his life of college lecturer and private tutor. In 1862 he was made a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, and in 1865 a member of the Mathematical Society of London. In 1871 he gained the Adams prize
Adams Prize
The Adams Prize is awarded each year by the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and St John's College to a young, UK based mathematician for first-class international research in the Mathematical Sciences....
and was elected to the council of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. He was elected honorary fellow of St John's in 1874, having resigned his fellowship on his marriage in 1864. In 1880 his eyesight began to fail, and shortly afterwards he was attacked with paralysis.
The person
Todhunter married 13 August 1864 to Louisa Anna Maria, eldest daughter of Captain (afterwards Admiral) George Davies, R.N. (at that time head of the county constabulary force). He died on 1 March 1884, at his residence, 6 Brookside, Cambridge. A mural tablet and medallion portrait were placed in the ante-chapel of his college by his widow, who, with four sons and one daughter, survived him.He was a sound Latin and Greek scholar, familiar with French, German, Spanish, Italian, and also Russian, Hebrew, and Sanskrit. He was well versed in the history of philosophy, and on three occasions acted as examiner for the moral sciences tripos.
Selected writings
- Treatise on the Differential Calculus and the Elements of the Integral Calculus (1852, 6th ed., 1873)
- Treatise on Analytical Statics (1853, 4th ed., 1874)
- Treatise on the Integral Calculus (1857, 4th ed., 1874)
- Treatise on Algebra (1858, 6th ed., 1871)
- Treatise on Plane Coordinate Geometry (1858, 3rd ed., 1861)
- Plane Trigonometry (1859, 4th ed., 1869)
- Spherical Trigonometry (1859)
- History of the Calculus of Variations (1861)
- Theory of Equations (1861, 2nd ed. 1875)
- Examples of Analytical Geometry of Three Dimensions (1858, 3rd ed., 1873)
- Mechanics (1867)
- History of the Mathematical Theory of Probability from the Time of Pascal to that of Lagrange (1865)
- Researches in the Calculus of Variations (1871)
- History of the Mathematical Theories of Attraction and Figure of the Earth from Newton to Laplace (1873)
- Elementary Treatise on Laplace's, Lame's and Bessel's Functions (1875)
- Natural Philosophy for Beginners (1877).
An unfinished work, The History of the Theory of Elasticity, was edited and published posthumously in 1886 by Karl Pearson
Karl Pearson
Karl Pearson FRS was an influential English mathematician who has been credited for establishing the disciplineof mathematical statistics....
. Todhunter also published keys to the problems in his textbooks on algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
and trigonometry
Trigonometry
Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics that studies triangles and the relationships between their sides and the angles between these sides. Trigonometry defines the trigonometric functions, which describe those relationships and have applicability to cyclical phenomena, such as waves...
; and a biographical work on William Whewell
William Whewell
William Whewell was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.-Life and career:Whewell was born in Lancaster...
(1876), in addition to many original papers in scientific journals.
Some of these are available at Isaac Todhunter's publications at Google Books.
Further reading
- Obituary notices: Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (1884) and Proc. Roy. Soc. 37, p. xxvvii (1884)
-
- A digital version of the above obituary is at the Gallica site.
- Obituary The Eagle, 1885, Cambridge, vol. XIII, pages 94 – 98
- A digital version of the above obituary is at the Gallica site.
External links
- Todhunter, Isaac (1873) The Conflict of Studies, and Other Essays on Subjects Connected with Education, London: Macmillan
- Todhunter, Isaac (1876) William Whewell, D. D., Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, London: Macmillan