Person: Mcconnell, James Robert
James McConnell was an Irish mathematician who worked on quantum mechanics and the applications of Lie groups.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Treacy and two British agents were killed in the shootout and this traumatic experience was witnessed by the five year old James.
- For the rest of his life James retained a vivid mental picture of the scene and he could name every shop on both sides of the street.
- McConnell was educated at the O'Connell School on North Richmond Street in Dublin.
- In 1932 McConnell completed his studies at the O'Connell School and entered University College Dublin.
- At university he studied mathematics and, in particular, he was taught by Arthur William Conway whose lectures on quantum theory and relativity inspired McConnell.
- After graduating, McConnell entered the Roman Catholic seminary of Holy Cross College in Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra, Dublin.
- At the same time as he was studying at the Pontifical Lateran University, McConnell was undertaking research in mathematical sciences at La Sapienza, University of Rome, and was awarded a doctorate by La Sapienza in 1941.
- Of course in June 1940 Italy had joined Germany and declared war on Britain and France so by the time McConnell received his doctorate Italy was allied with Germany.
- Erwin Schrödinger became the Director of the School of Theoretical Physics and, in 1942, after receiving a strong recommendation from A W Conway, McConnell joined this School.
- In 1943 McConnell published the paper Non-Linear Quantum Electrodynamics of the Vacuum.
- In 1943 McConnell and Schrödinger wrote the joint paper The Shielding Effect of Planetary Magnetic Fields (1944).
- In 1945 McConnell was appointed as Professor of Mathematical Physics at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.
- Professors, like McConnell, were appointed as professors in the National University of Ireland.
- McConnell published three papers on Production and annihilation of negative protons (1945, 1947, 1954).
- Also in 1958 McConnell published a paper quite different to anything that he had previously worked on.
- This change in McConnell's interests was followed by another change of direction.
- At St Patrick's College, Maynooth, McConnell took on some administrative duties.
- In 1968 McConnell was appointed as a Senior Professor in the School of Theoretical Physics of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
- McConnell received many awards for his outstanding contributions.
Born 25 February 1915, Dublin, Ireland. Died 16 February 1999, Dalkey, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, County Dublin, Ireland.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Group Theory, Origin Ireland
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
