Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (1873-1956)

Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (1873-1956) was Professor of Mathematics at Edinburgh University from 1912 to 1946.

Beginnings

Whittaker was born in Southport on 24 October 1873 to John Whittaker, and his wife Selina Septima. He was educated by his Mother until age eleven, when he entered Manchester Grammar School. In 1892, Whittaker was awarded a scholarship for Trinity College, Cambridge, where he gained several honours including the Tyson medal (1895), was elected a fellow of Trinity (1896), and was awarded the first Smith's prize (1897). In 1901, Whittaker married Mary Ferguson McNaghten, with whom he had three sons and two daughters.

Professor of Mathematics

Whittaker was appointed professor of astronomy in the University of Dublin in 1906, remaining there until 1912 when he accepted the professorship of mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. He would remain in this post until his retirement in 1946, and his tenure was a highly successful one which resulted in one of the first university mathematical laboratories in Britain, a flourishing research output form the department, and the development of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society.

Whittaker's research in pure mathematics was extensive, exploring the theories of interpolation, automorphic functions, potential theory, and special functions; while his research in mathematical physics explored dynamics, relativity, electromagnetic theory, and quantum theory

Honour and Recognition

Several honours were bestowed on Whittaker throughout his career, including his knighthood in 1945. Many of Whittaker's accolades came from the Royal Society. He was elected FRS in 1905, and awarded the Copley Medal (1954) and the Sylvester medal (1931) by the society, as well as serving on the council of the society (1911-1912, 1933-1935), and as vice-president of the society (1934-1935). Whittaker served as president for the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1939-1944), the Mathematical Association (1920-1921), the mathematical and physical section of the British Association (1927), and the London Mathematical Society (1928-1929).

Whittaker died at home in Edinburgh, on 24 March 1956.

Notable Publications

A Course of Modern Analysis (1902)

Treatise on the Analytical Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies (1904)

The Theory of Optical Instruments (1907)

The Theory of Aether and Electricity (1910)

The Calculus of Observations (1924)

Key Dates

1873 Born Southport, England, 24 October 1906-1912 Dublin, Ireland Professor of astronomy, University of Dublin 1912-1946 Edinburgh, Scotland Professor of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh 1895 Cambridge, England Graduated BSc, University of Cambridge 1896 Cambridge, England Elected a fellow of Trinity College, University of Cambridge 1897 Cambridge, England Awarded Smith's prize, University of Cambridge 1905 London, England Elected FRS 1920-1921 President of the Mathematical Association 1929 Edinburgh, Scotland Gunning prizeman, Royal Society of Edinburgh 1931 London, England Awarded Sylvester medal by the Royal Society 1934-1935 London, England Vice-president, Royal Society 1939-1944 Edinburgh, Scotland President, Royal Society of Edinburgh 1945 London, England Knighted 1949 Cambridge, England Honorary fellow, University of Cambridge 1954 London, England Awarded Copley medal by the Royal Society 24 March 1956 Edinburgh, Scotland Death

Sources Oxford DNB Temple, G http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36880 26 January 2014