Edward Routh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Routh
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Edward John Routh (1831–1907)
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Edward John Routh
20 January 1831 Quebec, Canada
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| Died | 7 June 1907 (aged 76) Cambridge, England
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| Nationality | English |
| Alma mater | University College London Peterhouse, Cambridge |
| Known for | Routh's rule Routh–Hurwitz theorem Routh stability criterion Routh array Routhian Routh's theorem Routh polynomials Routh's algorithm Kirchhoff–Routh function |
| Awards | Smith's Prize (1854) Adams Prize (1872) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematician |
| Institutions | University of London Peterhouse, Cambridge |
| Academic advisors | William Hopkins Augustus De Morgan Isaac Todhunter |
| Notable students | John Strutt (Rayleigh) J. J. Thomson George Darwin Alfred North Whitehead Joseph Larmor |
Edward John Routh (20 January 1831 – 7 June 1907) was an English mathematician. He was famous for being an amazing tutor for students preparing for the tough Cambridge Mathematical Tripos exam at the University of Cambridge. He also helped organize and improve the mathematical ideas behind mechanics, which is the study of how things move. Routh also came up with important ideas for modern control theory, which deals with how to make systems work smoothly.
Contents
Edward Routh's Life Story
Early Years and Education
Edward Routh was born in Quebec, which was a British colony called Lower Canada at the time. His father was English, and his mother was French-Canadian. When he was eleven years old, Edward moved to England.
He went to University College School and then to University College, London in 1847, after winning a scholarship. There, he studied with a teacher named Augustus De Morgan. De Morgan's teaching inspired Routh to become a mathematician.
Routh earned his first university degrees in London. Later, he attended Peterhouse, Cambridge, a college at Cambridge University. At Peterhouse, he was taught by Isaac Todhunter and coached by William Hopkins. Hopkins was known for helping many students become "Senior Wranglers," which was the top math student in their year. In 1854, Routh himself became the Senior Wrangler, just ahead of another famous scientist, James Clerk Maxwell. They both shared the Smith's Prize, a special award for math students. In 1856, Routh became a fellow at Peterhouse, which meant he was a member of the college's teaching staff.
A Top Math Tutor
After finishing his studies, Routh started working as a private math tutor in Cambridge. He took over the students of another tutor, William John Steele, who was very ill. Routh became incredibly successful as a tutor, setting a record that was never beaten.
Between 1855 and 1888, he coached more than 600 students. An amazing 28 of his students became Senior Wranglers, and 43 won the Smith's Prize. He worked very hard, teaching classes of ten students during the day. In the evenings, he prepared extra materials for his brightest students.
Routh strongly believed in the competitive system at Cambridge University. He was disappointed when the university started listing exam results in alphabetical order instead of by rank. He joked that soon they would want to run the famous horse race, the Derby, alphabetically too!
Personal Life
Edward Routh met Hilda Airy, the eldest daughter of the Astronomer Royal George Biddell Airy. They married in 1864. At that time, university fellows were not allowed to be married, so Routh had to leave his fellowship at Peterhouse. However, when the rules changed later, Peterhouse made him an honorary fellow.
Edward and Hilda had five sons and one daughter. Routh was known as a kind man and enjoyed talking with his friends. However, he was shy and quiet around strangers.
Awards and Recognition
Edward Routh received several important honors for his work:
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1872. This is a very prestigious award for scientists.
- He won the Adams Prize in 1877, another important award for mathematical research.
Edward Routh's Work
Understanding Mechanics
Edward Routh worked with Henry Brougham on a book called Analytical View of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia in 1855. He also wrote his own important textbook called Dynamics of a System of Rigid Bodies in 1860. This book helped to define and organize the modern mathematical way of studying mechanics. It influenced many other mathematicians and scientists.
Routh pointed out the importance of what he called "absent coordinates." These are special parts of a math problem that can make it easier to solve. He also created a new way to solve problems in mechanics. While his method didn't add completely new ideas, it made solving complex problems much more organized and convenient, especially when dealing with many moving parts.
Stability and Control Systems
Besides his teaching and writing, Edward Routh also did original research. His work helped create the Routh–Hurwitz theorem.
He also contributed to modern control systems theory with his Routh stability criterion. This criterion helps engineers figure out if a system, like an airplane or a robot, will be stable and work correctly without going out of control. Even though computers now do much of this work, Routh's ideas were very important for developing this field.
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Edward John Routh (1831–1907)
