E. T. Whittaker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edmund Taylor Whittaker
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A 1933 portrait of Whittaker by Arthur Trevor Haddon titled Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker
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| Born | 24 October 1873 Southport, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 24 March 1956 (aged 82) George Square, Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Nationality | English |
| Citizenship | British |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
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| Spouse(s) | Mary Ferguson Macnaghten Boyd |
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Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (born October 24, 1873 – died March 24, 1956) was a brilliant British mathematician, physicist, and historian of science. He was a top mathematical scholar in the early 1900s. Whittaker made many important contributions to applied mathematics, especially in mathematical physics and numerical analysis. He also studied astronomy, how planets move (celestial mechanics), the history of physics, and digital signal processing.
Whittaker wrote several famous books that are still used today. These include A Course of Modern Analysis (often called Whittaker and Watson), Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies, and A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity. He is also known for his views on the history of special relativity. In his book History, he gave credit to Henri Poincaré and Hendrik Lorentz for developing the theory. This started a long debate, even though most scientists still credit Albert Einstein.
Early in his career, Whittaker was the Royal Astronomer of Ireland from 1906 to 1912. After that, he became a math professor at the University of Edinburgh for thirty years. Later in his life, he received the Copley Medal and was made a knight. The School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh holds a yearly lecture, called The Whittaker Colloquium, in his honor. The Edinburgh Mathematical Society also gives out the Sir Edmund Whittaker Memorial Prize every four years to a talented young Scottish mathematician.
His Life Story
Early Years and School
Edmund Taylor Whittaker was born in Southport, England. His mother taught him at home until he was 11 because he was a very delicate child. Then, he went to Manchester Grammar School. A classmate, Ernest Barker, remembered him as "gay, lively, and bubbling." He was also good at acting and writing funny poems. At school, Whittaker studied a lot of Latin and Greek. He was happy when he could focus more on mathematics.
In 1891, Whittaker won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied math and physics there from 1892 to 1895. He was taught by Andrew Russell Forsyth and George Howard Darwin. Whittaker was more interested in applied mathematics, which uses math to solve real-world problems. In 1894, he won an award for astronomy. He graduated in 1895 as the Second Wrangler, which meant he was one of the top math students. He also won the Tyson Medal for Math and Astronomy in 1896.
His Career Journey
Whittaker was a Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1896 to 1906. Then, he became the Royal Astronomer of Ireland in Dublin. He held this job until 1912, when he became the head of the math department at the University of Edinburgh. He stayed there for over 30 years. Throughout his career, he wrote many papers on pure mathematics (like automorphic functions) and applied mathematics (like electromagnetism and astronomy). He was also interested in history, philosophy, and religion.
At Cambridge University
In 1896, Whittaker became a Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he taught until 1906. In 1897, he won the Smith Prize for his work on algebraic functions.
In 1902, Whittaker found a general way to solve Laplace's equation, a key math problem. He also wrote important books like A Course of Modern Analysis (1902) and A Treatise on the Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies (1904). In 1904, Whittaker had to sell some silver forks to pay taxes he had refused to pay. He disagreed with a law that made people pay taxes to fund local Christian schools. He was one of several people who peacefully refused to pay these taxes. In 1905, he was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society for his achievements.
In Dublin, Ireland
In 1906, Whittaker became the Andrews Professor of Astronomy at Trinity College Dublin. This also gave him the title of Royal Astronomer of Ireland. He was recommended by astronomer Robert Stawell Ball, who called Whittaker "modest" and "charming." Ball said Whittaker was a world expert in theoretical astronomy.
The main job of the Royal Astronomer was to teach mathematical physics at Trinity College. This allowed Whittaker time to write his third major book, A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity. He also wrote The Theory of Optical Instruments and several astronomy papers.
At Edinburgh University
Whittaker became a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh in January 1912. He stayed there for the rest of his career. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1912. He later served as the President of the Society from 1939 to 1944, during the war years. Whittaker started giving "research lectures" in math twice a week. Students said he was a great lecturer, with clear speech and lots of enthusiasm.
Freeman Dyson, a famous physicist, said that Whittaker's lectures made students feel "warmed" by his energy. Whittaker helped change the Edinburgh Mathematical Society from a teachers' group to a research society. He also played a big part in bringing computational mathematics education to the UK and America.
Soon after arriving in Edinburgh, Whittaker set up the Edinburgh Mathematical Laboratory. This was one of the first math labs in the UK. It was the first time numerical analysis (using numbers to solve math problems) was taught in a systematic way in Great Britain. Whittaker believed this was his most important contribution to math education. The lab taught subjects like interpolation (estimating values between known points) and solving differential equations. The program was so successful that it led to the creation of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society Colloquium in 1913.
His textbook The calculus of observations came from courses taught at the lab. It was very popular and had four editions.
Awards and Positions
Besides his roles in Dublin and Edinburgh, Whittaker held many other important academic positions. He was president of the Mathematical Association (1920–1921), the Mathematical and Physical Section of the British Science Association (1927), and the London Mathematical Society (1928–1929). He also received the Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize Lectureship for his contributions to mathematics.
He was made an Honorary Fellow or Foreign Member in many academic groups around the world. These included the Accademia dei Lincei in Italy (1922) and the American Philosophical Society (1944). He also received honorary doctorates from several universities, including University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin.
Later Life and Retirement
In his later years and retirement, Whittaker wrote many works on philosophy and religion. He also worked on the second edition of his book A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity. He published two books about Christianity and several books and papers about the philosophy of Arthur Eddington.
His Christian Faith
Whittaker was a Christian and became a Catholic in 1930. Because of this, Pope Pius XI gave him an award called Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice in 1935. He was also appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 1936. Whittaker wrote two books on Christianity: The beginning and end of the world and Space and spirit.
Historian Helge Kragh noted that Whittaker was one of the few top scientists who argued that the universe must have started at a point of very low entropy (disorder). This, he argued, suggests the existence of a god. Whittaker also wrote articles connecting science, philosophy, and religion for the BBC magazine The Listener. One of these articles was even republished in American Vogue, which was very unusual for a scientist!
Retirement Years
Whittaker retired from his math professor job at the University of Edinburgh in September 1946, after more than 33 years. He was given the title of emeritus professor. In retirement, he worked hard on the second edition of his A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity. He also kept publishing works on philosophy and religion.
Before the second volume of his History came out, Whittaker had decided to give credit for special relativity to Henri Poincaré and Hendrik Lorentz. Max Born, a friend of Whittaker's, wrote to Einstein in 1953. Born said he had tried for three years to convince Whittaker to change his mind about Einstein's role, but Whittaker was firm in his view. Born was worried because Whittaker was a "great authority" and his views might influence others.
His Passing
Whittaker passed away at his home in George Square, Edinburgh, on March 24, 1956. He was buried at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Edinburgh. Many people wrote obituaries (tributes) for him, including Alexander Aitken and Herbert Dingle. His house was later torn down to expand the University of Edinburgh campus.
His Family Life
In 1901, Whittaker married Mary Ferguson Macnaghten Boyd. They had five children: two daughters and three sons. One of his sons, John Macnaghten Whittaker, also became a mathematician. His older daughter, Beatrice, married Edward Copson, who later became a math professor.
George Frederick James Temple said that Whittaker's home in Edinburgh was a "great centre of social and intellectual activity." He had a happy family life and was loved by his family. Whittaker had a piano at home, even though he couldn't play it, because he enjoyed listening to friends play. He also took a personal interest in his students and invited them to social gatherings. After his death, William Hunter McCrea described Whittaker as having a "quick wit" and a "great sense of humor." He was also very unselfish and always tried to help or please others. He had many friends and always supported them.
His Lasting Impact
Whittaker is remembered for his textbooks and other writings, many of which are still in print. He is also known for his research in automorphic functions, numerical analysis, harmonic analysis, and general relativity. Several math ideas and functions are named after him. In June 1958, an entire issue of the Proceedings of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society was dedicated to his life and work.
Whittaker also created the terms cardinal function and Mathieu function. The School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh holds the annual Whittaker Colloquium in his honor. The Edinburgh Mathematical Society also gives the Sir Edmund Whittaker Memorial Prize to a talented young Scottish mathematician every four years.
Named After Him
The Whittaker function (or Whittaker integral) is named after him. This function is used in the study of confluent hypergeometric functions. He also has the Whittaker model named after him in the theory of automorphic representations. Whittaker was interested in automorphic functions throughout his life and wrote three papers on them. He also found a general way to express Bessel functions.
Whittaker also helped develop the theory of partial differential equations and harmonic functions. He found a general solution to Laplace's equation in three dimensions, which became a standard part of potential theory. He also found a solution to the wave equation.
His Important Books
Whittaker wrote three very important scientific books: A Course of Modern Analysis, Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies, and The Calculus of Observations. In 1956, Gerald James Whitrow said that two of these books were required reading for British mathematicians.
Despite the success of these books, the second edition of Whittaker's A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity has been called his "magnum opus" (greatest work). William Hunter McCrea predicted that future readers would find it hard to believe that such an important book was written by someone who also had such a distinguished career in other areas.
Whittaker also wrote The theory of optical instruments and several books on philosophy and religion. His bibliography lists 11 books, 56 math and physics articles, 35 philosophy and history articles, and 21 biographical articles. He wrote ten papers on electromagnetism and general relativity.
Whittaker & Watson
Whittaker was the first author of the classic textbook A Course of Modern Analysis, published in 1902. Later editions were written with George Neville Watson, which is why it's famously known as Whittaker & Watson. This book is an important textbook in mathematical analysis and has been in print for over a hundred years. It covered topics like complex analysis and Special functions that were not easily available in English before. George Frederick James Temple said it was unmatched in these areas for many years. The book came from Whittaker's lecture notes and included ideas from mathematicians like Augustin-Louis Cauchy and Karl Weierstrass.
Analytical Dynamics
Whittaker's second major book, A Treatise on the Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies, was first published in 1904. It quickly became a classic textbook in mathematical physics and analytical dynamics, a part of classical mechanics. It has been in print for over a hundred years and is known for its "remarkable longevity." The book was groundbreaking because it was the first English book to systematically cover Hamiltonian dynamics, which was very important for the development of quantum mechanics.
Alexander Aitken called the book "epoch making" (meaning it marked a new era). He noted that it summarized classical dynamics and the progress made in Lagrangian mechanics and Hamiltonian mechanics just before the theory of relativity. Many people have recommended the book. Even in 2014, it was still being cited in scientific papers, showing it's more than just a historical book.
A History of Aether and Electricity
In 1910, Whittaker wrote A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity. This book explained the theories of aether (a substance once thought to fill space) from René Descartes to Hendrik Lorentz and Albert Einstein. The book was well-received and made Whittaker a respected historian of science.
A second, updated edition was released later. The first volume, the classical theories, came out in 1951. The second volume, published in 1953, covered the years 1900–1926. Despite a famous disagreement about Whittaker's views on special relativity in volume two, these books are considered important references on the history of classical electromagnetism. However, because of its role in the relativity priority dispute, the second volume is cited less often than the first, except when discussing that controversy.
The Relativity Debate
Whittaker is also remembered for his part in the relativity priority dispute. This was a historical disagreement about who deserved credit for developing special relativity. In his book A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity, Whittaker gave credit to Henri Poincaré and Hendrik Lorentz. He said that Einstein's famous 1905 paper "set forth the relativity theory of Poincaré and Lorentz with some amplifications."
Max Born, a friend of Whittaker's, wrote to Einstein expressing concern about this. Born also wrote a rebuttal in his 1956 book. Gerald James Whitrow mentioned the controversy in Whittaker's obituary. He said he had written to Whittaker, explaining that his views "did not do justice to the originality of Einstein's philosophy." However, Whitrow understood why Whittaker felt the need to correct the popular idea that Einstein's contribution was completely unique.
Max Born argued that while Lorentz and Poincaré's contributions were important, it was Einstein's new ideas and way of thinking that made his theory unique. Even though this debate has lasted for decades, most scholars today do not agree with Whittaker's arguments. The scientific community still believes that special relativity was Einstein's major development.
His Philosophy
James Robert McConnell studied Whittaker's views on philosophy for a special volume of the Proceedings of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society. McConnell noted that Whittaker's research on the links between physics and philosophy appeared in about forty publications. Whittaker's way of thinking was called "neo-Cartesianism," which means it was based on the idea that science should be like math and physics.
Whittaker also wrote about the ideas of Arthur Eddington, a famous physicist. He explored how new discoveries in astronomy related to religion and theology. He also wrote about determinism (the idea that everything is decided) versus free will, and natural theology (finding God through nature). McConnell concluded that Whittaker's philosophical works seemed to come from "a scholarly Christian layman." He noted that few scholars are good at both physics and philosophy, and that Whittaker's work in this area could inspire future research.
Awards and Honors
In 1931, Whittaker received the Sylvester Medal from the Royal Society for his original work in both pure and applied mathematics. He then received the De Morgan Medal from the London Mathematical Society in 1935, an award given every three years for outstanding math contributions.
In his 70s, he received several high honors. He was made a knight by King George VI in 1945. In 1954, he received the Royal Society's highest award, the Copley Medal. This was for his "distinguished contributions to both pure and applied mathematics and to theoretical physics." The president of the Royal Society, Edgar Adrian, said that Whittaker was probably the most well-known British mathematician at the time. He praised the "astonishing quantity and quality of his work," saying it was "probably unparalleled in modern mathematics."
Whittaker also gave many important lectures, some of which later became books. He gave lectures at Trinity College, Cambridge (1926), the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1931), and the University of Cardiff (1933). He also lectured at the University of California (1934), University at Durham (1942), and Trinity College Dublin (1946).
See also
In Spanish: Edmund Whittaker para niños
- List of fellows of the Royal Society elected in 1905
- List of Cambridge mathematicians
- List of mathematicians born in the 19th century
- List of theoretical physicists
