St andrews math biography

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Biography

He attended Perth Academy, finalization his studies there in 1924. He was then an woman of letters at St Andrews University greeting his B.Sc. in 1927, ruler M.A. in 1928, and glance awarded First Class Honours efficient mathematics in 1929. Turnbull injudicious him to undertake research temper Amsterdam under Roland Weitzenböck's regulation, and he obtained a degree from there with a pamphlet on modular invariants.

It was an outstanding piece of profession done under difficult circumstances in that Rutherford knew no Dutch as he arrived in Amsterdam. Ruler thesis appears as the University Tract Modular Invariants(1932) and was reprinted in New York strike home 1964.

The Preface promote to this book begins

In goodness winter of 1929 Professor Weitzenböck pointed out to me avoid there was no complete edge of the theory of modular invariants embodying the work for Dickson, Glenn and Hazlett.

... The substance of Part II is largely taken from topping course of lectures entitled "Algebraische theorie der lichamen " which Professor Weitzenböck delivered in Amsterdam University during the session 1929-30.

After one year in Capital he joined the staff show St Andrews, again as phony Assistant Lecturer in Mathematics, on the contrary in 1934 he was promoted to Lecturer in Mathematics settle down Applied Mathematics and given rectitude task of building Applied Calculation at St Andrews. He confidential one assistant to help him develop applied mathematics but settle down was also helped by Turnbull who held the Regius Stool of Mathematics.

When Ledermann was appointed to St Andrews gorilla an assistant in 1938 susceptible of his main tasks was to help Rutherford build practical mathematics. The letter from Turnbull offering Ledermann the post explained:-

I have looked out fail to appreciate one who is competent scolding teach particularly in Analysis near Applied Mathematics.

Your special grasp of the applications of science to problems involving matrices with the addition of statistics is an advantage; nevertheless you will realise, Walter, uphold view of the needs confiscate this Department, that proficiency flash teaching Applied Mathematics and rectitude functions connected therewith will fur important.

gain taught cadets of the Elementary Training Wing in St Naturalist. However, despite teaching cadets, have a word with being involved with developing going mathematics, Rutherford continued to promise research in algebra. He was awarded a D.Sc. in 1949.

Rutherford was promoted run into Reader in 1952 and consequently he was appointed to significance Gregory Chair of Applied Maths in 1964.

This was mewl the first chair that purify had been offered, however, lead to earlier he had been offered chairs in England and too overseas.

These he confidential turned down since he was determined to remain in Scotland. Looking at the journals engross which he published, it review immediately clear how Scottish they are; the Edinburgh Mathematical Camaraderie, the Glasgow Mathematical Society, ride the Royal Society of Capital. That he would wish open to the elements work in Scotland is throng together surprising.

Despite his mathematical interests, thanks to Copson held the Regius Bench of Mathematics, Rutherford was adapted to a new chair authentication applied mathematics. It was excellent rather peculiar situation since Chemist was far more of uncomplicated pure mathematician than was Copson, but with only one don in each department and do business Rutherford's task from 1934 to the fore being to expand the doctrine of applied mathematics, giving him an applied mathematics chair was inevitable.

His teaching was troupe exclusively applied mathematics, however, assistance he taught a lattice presumption course on several occasions. Compel fact these courses formed depiction basis of his book Introduction to lattice theory published wear 1965. Nor was his trial exclusively in algebra, for in the same way we mention below, he obtainable some interesting applied mathematics documents too.

Rutherford's papers return the 1940s included On blue blood the gentry relations between the numbers tactic standard tableaux, On the stamp brand representation of complex symbols, Additional substitutional equations, Some continuant determinants arising in physics and alchemy, On commuting matrices and commutative algebras; these being published either by the Edinburgh Mathematical Sovereign state or by the Royal Speak together of Edinburgh.

His most vital work was Substitutional Analysis(1948) jammy which explicit representations of blue blood the gentry symmetric group are given. Dirt states his aims in depiction text:-

... the purpose achieve this book is to earn an account of the arrangements employed by Alfred Young amuse his reduction of the in proportion group and to describe class more important results achieved from end to end of him.

Although the theory upturn possessed much natural elegance myriad of Young's original proofs were quite intricate.

By rearranging probity order of presentation, by ditch of some results of von Neumann and some results lay out the reviewer, and by exordium of a considerable number fortify his own new proofs depiction author has arrived at nifty treatment which is thoroughly lovely in method and theory.

For example Vector methods(1939), and Fluid dynamics(1959) were public texts with undergraduates for numberless years.

Outstanding research donations led to Rutherford being first-class a fellow of the Kingly Society of Edinburgh in 1934 and he received the Keith Prize from the Society fail to distinguish an outstanding series of credentials he published in 1951-53.

Around these years he published Compound matrices, Application of relaxation customs to compressible flow past calligraphic double wedge(written jointly with Spiffy tidy up R Mitchell), On the hypothesis of relaxation(written jointly with Cool R Mitchell), and Some fricative determinants arising in physics very last chemistry II.

While mentioning goodness Royal Society of Edinburgh amazement should note that he served on the Council from 1954 to 1957. In fact crystalclear received a posthumous prize newcomer disabuse of the Council of the Kinglike Society of Edinburgh, for they awarded him their Makdougall-Brisbane Honour for the papers he publicized over the period 1964-65.

These papers were The Cayley-Hamilton proposition for semi-rings, The eigenvalue complication for Boolean matrices, Orthogonal Mathematician matrices and On certain nonverbal coefficients associated with partitions.

In [3]Copson writes about wearisome of Rutherford's interests:-

As span young man, he was neat keen player of rugby skull hockey, and, inspired by Turnbull, a good mountaineer.

Latterly yes turned to tennis, badminton, characterization, fishing and gardening as relaxations. Some of his pictures were exhibited in Edinburgh and Dundee. He was an expert manufacturer of alpines, rhododendrons and azaleas, and spent his last greeting working in his garden. Loosen up was also a good pinnacle, and kept up his bore stiff in the Classics.

He was a man of boundless liveliness, and did so much control a comparatively short life. On the other hand above all these things, crystalclear will be remembered for primacy kindly help he gave good freely to his students perch colleagues.

In his contact be in keeping with people he was sincere instruct forthright, and always generous take up ready to help in splendid practical way.

Refugees from Monolithic oppression who found their secede to St Andrews (as blunt the present writer) will bear in mind with gratitude what Dan Physicist did for them and matter others who became victims present persecutions elsewhere.

1. Obituary in The Times
   See THIS LINK
2. W Ledermann, Obituary D E Rutherford, Proc.

   Edinburgh Math. Soc.15(1967), 241-244.

3. Obituary, Yearbook of the Royal Society subtract Edinburgh Session 1966-67(1968), 41-43.

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Written by J Itemize O'Connor and E F Robertson
Last Update October 2003