◀ ▲ ▶History / 19th-century / Person: Glaisher, James Whitbread Lee
Person: Glaisher, James Whitbread Lee
Lee Glaisher was an English mathematician and astronomer who wrote over 400 articles on astronomy, special functions, calculation of numerical tables, number theory and the history of mathematics.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Lee showed himself a highly gifted mathematician, winning a Campden Exhibition in 1867 to study at Trinity College, Cambridge.
- In the same year in which he graduated Glaisher joined the Royal Astronomical Society and so began a long association with that Society.
- His presidential address, given at Leeds on 4 September 1890, was on Mathematical and Physical Science.
- During his time as a lecturer at Cambridge Glaisher had many interests.
- Glaisher wrote over 400 articles on his main interests of astronomy, special functions, calculation of numerical tables, number theory, and the history of mathematics.
- The importance of Glaisher is less in the original research he did, much more in that he brought these mathematical topics into the Cambridge syllabus so setting it up to produce the outstanding English mathematicians who were educated there shortly afterwards.
- Cayley was almost a voice in the wilderness; Glaisher himself described Cambridge pure mathematics as generals without armies.
- Glaisher received many honours.
- Now if being Astronomer Royal was one post offered to Glaisher that he turned down, one which he would dearly have loved to accept was the Sadleirian Chair.
- It became vacant in 1895 when Cayley died but A R Foster, one of Glaisher's pupils, was appointed rather than Glaisher himself.
- We should also say a little about the important editorial work done by Glaisher.
- Well, after Fiske returned to the United States he went on the organise the New York Mathematical Society (which became the American Mathematical Society) and set up the Bulletin of the New York Mathematical Society based on the format of the Messenger of Mathematics that Glaisher had established.
Born 5 November 1848, Lewisham, Kent, England. Died 7 December 1928, Cambridge, England.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Astronomy, Origin England, Number Theory, Puzzles And Problems, Special Numbers And Numerals
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
- Github:
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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
