Person: Donkin, William
William Donkin was a mathematician who became Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford. He had broad interests writing on least squares, Laplace's functions, attraction of solids, and music.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- William Fishburn Donkin was, therefore, the second son, but William Bateman Donkin did not survive and so William became the eldest surviving son.
- At St Peter's School, Donkin was taught classics by Stephen Creyke (1796-1883).
- Donkin spent three years at St Peter's School and always emphasised what a huge debt he owed to Creyke who he considered to be a truly outstanding teacher.
- Donkin left St Peter's School in 1832 and matriculated at St Edmund's Hall, University of Oxford, on 10 October 1832.
- He was elected a fellow of University College in 1836, defeating the well-known hymn writer and theologian Frederick William Faber.
- Donkin continued to hold the fellowship until 1843.
- From 1836 to 1842, Donkin was a mathematics lecturer at St Edmund's Hall; he became bursar in 1840.
- One of Donkin's early publications was not on mathematics but on ancient music.
- This article appeared in William Smith's "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities" published in 1842.
- Donkin (1851) offers some critical remarks on the theory of least squares, and especially on the remarks of Ellis.
- Donkin says that Herschel's proof "should be treated with respect" and that the method of least squares may be used, if for no other reason, because "it is a very good method", as shown by Gauss (1823).
- Indefatigable and successful as lecturer on chemistry at St George's Hospital, and in pursuing the practical developments of electric lighting, Mr Donkin had made his leisure a source of pleasure and instruction to a large public.
- Edward Hawtrey Donkin studied at Lincoln College, Oxford and became Professor of Classics at Royal Holloway College in 1890.
- Let us return to our description of Donkin's life.
- Donkin's interest in acoustics might explain why he was thought a suitable respondent; his 'Acoustics, Theoretical: Part 1' was published after his death.
- He noted that the current professor neither resided in Oxford nor gave lectures, although William Crotch, professor from 1799 to 1847, had given lectures at the start of the nineteenth century.
- Bartholomew Price wrote a Preface explaining that the book was only the first part of what Donkin had intended.
Born 15 February 1814, Bishop Burton, Yorkshire, England. Died 15 November 1869, Oxford, England.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Origin England
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
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- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
