Albert Ingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albert Ingham
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| Born |
Albert Edward Ingham
3 April 1900 Northampton, Northamptonshire, England
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| Died | 6 September 1967 (aged 67) Switzerland
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| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Awards | Smith's Prize (1921) Fellow of the Royal Society |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | King's College, Cambridge |
| Doctoral students | Wolfgang Fuchs C. Haselgrove Christopher Hooley Robert Rankin |
| Influences | John Edensor Littlewood |
| Notes | |
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Erdős Number: 1
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Albert Edward Ingham FRS was an English mathematician. He was born on April 3, 1900, and passed away on September 6, 1967. Ingham is remembered for his important work in number theory, especially concerning prime numbers.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ingham was born in Northampton, England. He attended Stafford Grammar School. After serving in the British Army during World War I, he began his studies. In January 1919, he started at Trinity College, Cambridge.
At Cambridge, Ingham achieved a special honor. He was named a "Wrangler" in the Mathematical Tripos. This means he scored very high in the mathematics exams. In 1922, he became a fellow of Trinity College. He also received an important research scholarship.
Academic Career and Discoveries
In 1926, Ingham became a Reader at the University of Leeds. A Reader is a senior academic position. He returned to Cambridge in 1930. There, he became a fellow of King's College and a lecturer. He took on this role after another mathematician, Frank Ramsey, passed away.
Ingham guided several students who were working on their PhDs. Some of his notable students included Wolfgang Fuchs, C. Brian Haselgrove, and Christopher Hooley.
One of Ingham's most famous discoveries was about prime gaps. Prime numbers are numbers like 2, 3, 5, 7, and so on. They can only be divided by 1 and themselves. A prime gap is the difference between two prime numbers that are next to each other. For example, the gap between 5 and 7 is 2.
In 1937, Ingham proved something very important about these gaps. He showed that the gaps between prime numbers don't grow too quickly. Specifically, he proved that the gap between a prime number and the next one is always smaller than that prime number raised to a certain power. This was a big step forward in understanding how prime numbers are spread out.
Honours and Recognition
Ingham's contributions to mathematics were recognized in 1945. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.
Family Life
In 1932, Albert Ingham married Rose Marie "Jane" Tupper-Carey. They had two sons together.
Death
Albert Ingham passed away in Switzerland in 1967. He was 67 years old.
