Person: Fraser, Alexander Yule
Alexander Yule Fraser was an Edinburgh teacher. With Barclay and Knott he was one of the writers who originally proposed the founding of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Alexander had three younger siblings: Jessie (born about 1860), Donald (born about 1862), and Frederick (born about 1877).
- Alexander Fraser's was educated at the University of Aberdeen where he specialised in mathematics and physics.
- Mr Fraser was entrusted with the charge of the Mathematical and Physical departments; and it is not too much to say that not a little of the success of this school is due to the energy with which he threw himself into the work of his department.
- In 1889 Fraser was appointed as Headmaster of Allen Glen's Institution in Glasgow.
- The Edinburgh Mathematical Society was founded in February 1883 and it was Fraser together with Andrew Jeffrey Gunion Barclay, also a mathematics master at George Watson's College at the time, together with Cargill Gilston Knott, an Assistant to the Professor of Natural Philosophy in Edinburgh University, who issued a circular 'to gentlemen in Edinburgh, in Cambridge and throughout Scotland generally whom they deemed likely to take an interest in such a Society' calling for a Mathematical Society to be set up.
- FRASER, M.A.(Aberdeen).
- Fraser became a founder member of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society and was Secretary during 1883-88, and Treasurer during 1883-85.
- At the meeting on Friday 8 January 1886 Fraser gave an account of the methods for the quadrature of areas, especially by planimeters.
- On the opening of George Heriot's Hospital as a day school, Mr Fraser was appointed head of the mathematical and physical departments, to the equipment and organisation of which be devoted himself with energy and success.
- A little over a year ago Mr Fraser was appointed to the headmaster-ship of Allan Glen's Institution in Glasgow, but failing health compelled him to give it up, and be resigned with the intention of going to South Africa.
- While Mr Fraser was still a junior master at Watson's College, the idea occurred to him that there was room in Edinburgh for a Mathematical Society.
- Fraser had been intending to address the meeting of the Society on Friday 14 November 1890 on the topic of the history of the controversy concerning the differential calculus.
- Fraser was elected to a fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 1 June 1885.
Born 3 May 1857, Cargill, near Perth, Scotland. Died 9 November 1890, Glasgow, Scotland.
View full biography at MacTutor
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Origin Scotland
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References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
