James Cullen (mathematician) facts for kids

Father James Cullen (born April 19, 1867 – died December 7, 1933) was an Irish Jesuit priest and a talented mathematician. He is famous for discovering a special type of number now called Cullen numbers. He was born in Drogheda, a town in County Louth, Ireland.

Early Life and Education

James Cullen was born at 89 West Street in Drogheda. His father, Michael Cullen, was a baker, and his mother was Catherine McDonough. Young James first learned at home, then attended school with the Christian Brothers. He was very good at math and went on to study advanced mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin. He also studied at Mungret College in Limerick.

Becoming a Jesuit Priest

After his studies, James Cullen decided to become a Jesuit. The Jesuits are a religious order within the Catholic Church known for their focus on education and scholarship. He continued his studies in England at Mansera House and St. Mary's. On July 31, 1901, he became a Catholic priest.

Discovering Cullen Numbers

In 1905, Father Cullen taught mathematics at Mount St. Mary's College in Derbyshire, England. During this time, he made an important discovery in a field of math called number theory. He found a special sequence of numbers that are now named after him: Cullen numbers. These numbers are written in a specific way, like n × 2ⁿ + 1, where 'n' is a whole number. For example, if n=1, the Cullen number is 1 × 2¹ + 1 = 3. If n=2, it's 2 × 2² + 1 = 9.

Later Contributions

Even after his big discovery, Father Cullen continued to work with numbers. He managed the financial accounts for the English part of the Jesuit order. At the same time, he kept writing articles for mathematics journals, sharing his knowledge and new ideas with other mathematicians.

See also

• Cullen number
• List of Jesuit scientists
• List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics