Person: Moulton, Forest Ray
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Forest Ray Moulton was an American astronomer. He was one of the proponents of the planetesimal hypothesis of the origin and evolution of the solar system.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Belah Moulton had fought in the Civil War and had received the land as a war veteran.
- However it was heavily forested land and Belah had to clear the trees before he could start to farm there.
- a perfect ray of light and happiness in that dense forest.
- Moulton became a part-time instructor at Albion in 1892 and held this position until he graduated from the College in 1894.
- Moulton's main interests were in the application of mathematics to problems in astronomy.
- Moulton is best known, however, as the co-author with Thomas C Chamberlin of the Chamberlin-Moulton planetesimal hypothesis of the origin and evolution of the solar system.
- Moulton began working with Chamberlin, who was professor of geology at Chicago, when he was undertaking graduate studies at Chicago.
- However it was Moulton who made Chamberlin's idea into a solid theory by providing the necessary mathematical calculations.
- Moulton's Company came close to collapse in 1933 but it just survived.
- Moulton's most famous pupil was Edwin Hubble.
Born 29 April 1872, LeRoy, Michigan, USA. Died 7 December 1952, Wilmette, Illinois, USA.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Astronomy, Origin Usa
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0!
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- Github:
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![bookofproofs](https://github.com/bookofproofs.png?size=32)
- 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