William McFadden Orr facts for kids
William McFadden Orr (born May 2, 1866 – died August 14, 1934) was an important British and Irish mathematician. He was known for his work in mathematics and for being a very smart student.
Orr was born in a place called Comber in County Down. He went to school at Methodist College Belfast and then to Queen's College, Belfast. There, he studied under another famous mathematician, John Purser.
Studying at Cambridge
After his studies in Ireland, William Orr went to St John's College, Cambridge in England. This was a very famous university. In 1888, he achieved something amazing: he became the "Senior Wrangler". This means he was the top mathematics student in his year at Cambridge, which was a huge honor!
Later, he became a "fellow" of his college. This means he was chosen to be a special member of the college, often involved in teaching and research. In 1909, he was also made a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group of top scientists in the world. Being a Fellow means you are recognized for making important discoveries in science.
A Career in Mathematics
William Orr became a professor of mathematics. In 1892, he started teaching at the Royal College of Science for Ireland. He taught there for many years.
Later, in 1926, his college joined with University College Dublin. At this new, bigger university, Orr became a professor of both pure mathematics and applied mathematics. Pure mathematics is about the ideas and theories of math itself. Applied mathematics uses math to solve real-world problems.
He worked hard until he retired in 1933. William Orr passed away in 1934 and was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin.
The Orr–Sommerfeld Equation
One of William Orr's most famous contributions to mathematics is the Orr–Sommerfeld equation. This is a complex equation used in a field called fluid dynamics. Fluid dynamics is the study of how liquids and gases move. The Orr–Sommerfeld equation helps scientists understand things like how water flows in a pipe or how air moves around an airplane wing. It's a very important tool for engineers and physicists.
