Augustus De Morgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Augustus De Morgan
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| Born | 27 June 1806 |
| Died | 18 March 1871 (aged 64) London, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Known for | De Morgan's laws De Morgan algebra De Morgan hierarchy Relation algebra Universal algebra |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematician and logician |
| Institutions | University College London University College School |
| Academic advisors | John Philips Higman George Peacock William Whewell |
| Notable students | Edward Routh James Joseph Sylvester Frederick Guthrie William Stanley Jevons Ada Lovelace Francis Guthrie Stephen Joseph Perry |
| Influences | George Boole |
| Influenced | Thomas Corwin Mendenhall Isaac Todhunter |
| Notes | |
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He was the father of William De Morgan.
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Augustus De Morgan (born June 27, 1806 – died March 18, 1871) was a clever British mathematician and logician. He is famous for creating De Morgan's laws, which are important rules in logic. He also helped make the idea of mathematical induction (a way to prove things in math) more clear and exact.
Contents
Who Was Augustus De Morgan?
His Early Life and Education
Augustus De Morgan was born in 1806 in Madurai, India. His father worked for the British East India Company. When Augustus was just a few months old, he lost sight in one eye. His family moved to England when he was seven months old.
When Augustus was ten, his father passed away. He went to different schools, but his amazing math skills weren't noticed until he was 14. A family friend saw him drawing a complex shape from Euclid's geometry using only a ruler and compasses.
His mother wanted him to become a clergyman, but Augustus had his own ideas. He didn't agree with all the church's rules.
University Days at Cambridge
In 1823, at age 16, Augustus went to Trinity College, Cambridge. There, he met George Peacock and William Whewell, who became his good friends. They helped him get interested in new ways of thinking about algebra and logic.
Augustus loved learning for its own sake. He also enjoyed playing the flute and was part of music clubs. He did very well in math, but he didn't want to take a religious test needed to get a higher degree. This meant he couldn't become a professor at Cambridge at that time.
Becoming a Professor in London
Since he couldn't work at Cambridge, Augustus moved to London. He planned to study law, but he loved teaching math more. Around this time, a new university was being created in London. It was called London University (now University College London).
This new university was different because it didn't require religious tests. This meant people of all faiths could study and teach there. At just 22 years old, De Morgan became a math professor there. His first lecture, "On the study of mathematics," was about how math helps train your mind.
There was a disagreement at the university, and De Morgan, along with other professors, resigned. However, the university soon asked him to come back. He then taught there for 30 years.
De Morgan also wrote many articles for the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. This group wanted to share scientific knowledge through cheap, easy-to-read books. He wrote a big book on The Differential and Integral Calculus and many articles for the Penny Cyclopedia.
De Morgan's Family Life
Augustus was one of seven children. He had three brothers and three sisters. In 1837, he married Sophia Elizabeth Frend. Sophia's father, William Frend, was also a mathematician.
Augustus and Sophia had seven children: three sons and four daughters. One of his daughters, Mary De Morgan, became a famous writer of fairy tales. His oldest son, William De Morgan, became a well-known potter.
His second son, George, was also very good at math. George and a friend had an idea to start a math society in London. This is how the London Mathematical Society began. Augustus De Morgan was its first president, and his son George was the first secretary.
Later Life and Passing
In 1866, De Morgan resigned from University College London. He felt the university had changed its rule about being religiously neutral. He was 60 years old. His former students helped him get a pension.
Sadly, he faced some difficult times after that. Two years later, his son George passed away. This was a huge loss for him. Then, one of his daughters also died. Five years after leaving the university, Augustus De Morgan died on March 18, 1871.
His Amazing Math Work
De Morgan was a very smart and funny writer. He corresponded with many other thinkers. He was interested in the work of two famous people named Sir William Hamilton. One was a logician, and the other was a mathematician. De Morgan was friends with the mathematician, William Rowan Hamilton.
He preferred to stay in London's libraries rather than travel. He never tried to become a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists. He also never voted or visited famous places like the Tower of London.
De Morgan wrote many important math books and papers. His book Trigonometry and Double Algebra (1849) showed his ideas on algebra. His book Formal Logic (1847) explained his views on logic. One of his most unique works is A Budget of Paradoxes. It was a collection of his funny and thoughtful letters about strange ideas and puzzles.
De Morgan's ideas about algebra, where math is seen as the study of symbols and their rules, are still followed by many English algebraists today.
His Interest in Spiritualism
Later in his life, De Morgan became interested in spiritualism. This was a belief that people could communicate with spirits. In 1849, he looked into clairvoyance (the ability to know things without using the normal senses) and was quite impressed.
He even did some investigations at his home with a medium named Maria Hayden. A medium is someone who claims to communicate with spirits. His wife, Sophia, later published the results of these investigations in a book. De Morgan thought that if people knew he was interested in spiritualism, it might affect his science career. So, the book was published without his name on it in 1863. It was called From Matter to Spirit: The Result of Ten Years Experience in Spirit Manifestations.
Historians say that while his wife was a strong believer in spiritualism, De Morgan himself was more cautious. He wasn't a full believer or a complete doubter. He thought that maybe there were natural forces that scientists hadn't discovered yet that could explain these strange events.
De Morgan's Lasting Impact
Augustus De Morgan left a huge mark on mathematics. The main building of the London Mathematical Society is called De Morgan House. Also, the student math club at University College London is named the Augustus De Morgan Society.
There is even a crater on the Moon named De Morgan in his honor!
Selected writings
- De Morgan, Augustus (1836). An Explanation of the Gnomonic Projection of the Sphere. London: Baldwin. https://archive.org/details/anexplanationgn00morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1837a). Elements of Trigonometry, and Trigonometrical Analysis. London: Taylor & Walton. https://archive.org/details/elementstrigono01morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1837b). The Elements of Algebra. London: Taylor & Walton. https://archive.org/details/elementsalgebra00morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1838). An Essay on Probabilities, and Their Application to Life Contingencies and Insurance Offices. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans. https://archive.org/details/anessayonprobab00morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1840a). The Elements of Arithmetic. London: Taylor & Walton. https://archive.org/details/elementsarithme01morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1840b). First Notions of Logic, Preparatory to the Study of Geometry. London: Taylor & Walton. https://archive.org/details/firstnotionslog00morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1842). The Differential and Integral Calculus. London: Baldwin. https://archive.org/details/differentialand00goog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1845). The Globes, Celestial and Terrestrial. London: Malby & Co.. https://archive.org/details/globescelestial00morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1847). Formal Logic or The Calculus of Inference, Necessary and Probable. London: Taylor & Walton.. https://archive.org/details/formallogicorca01morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1849). Trigonometry and Double Algebra. London: Taylor, Walton & Malbery. https://archive.org/details/trigonometryand01morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1860). Syllabus of a Proposed System of Logic. London: Walton & Malbery.. https://archive.org/details/syllabusapropos00morggoog.
- De Morgan, Augustus (1872). A Budget of Paradoxes. London: Longmans, Green. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23100.
See also
In Spanish: Augustus De Morgan para niños
- History of Grandi's series
- Murphy's law
- Squaring the circle
Images for kids
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Augustus De Morgan.
