Lucasian Professor of Mathematics

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The Lucasian Chair of Mathematics (/lˈkziən/) is a mathematics professorship in the University of Cambridge, England; its holder is known as the Lucasian Professor. The post was founded in 1663 by Henry Lucas, who was Cambridge University's Member of Parliament in 1639–1640, and it was officially established by King Charles II on 18 January 1664. It was described by The Daily Telegraph as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world[1] and its former holders include Isaac Newton, Charles Babbage, George Stokes, Joseph Larmor, Paul Dirac and Stephen Hawking.

History

Lucas, in his will, bequeathed his library of 4,000 volumes to the university and left instructions for the purchase of land whose yielding should provide £100 a year for the founding of a professorship.[2]

Babbage applied for the vacancy in 1826, after Turton, but Airy was appointed. William Whewell (who considered applying, but preferred both Herschel and Babbage to himself) remarks that he would be the best professor, but that the heads of the colleges would not see that. Nonetheless, Babbage was appointed when the chair became free again two years later.[3]

The current and 19th Lucasian Professor is Michael Cates, starting from 1 July 2015.[4] The previous holder of the post was theoretical physicist Michael Green who was a fellow in Clare Hall. He was appointed in October 2009,[5] succeeding Stephen Hawking, who himself retired in September 2009, in the year of his 67th birthday, as required by the university.[6] Green holds the position of Emeritus Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.

List of Lucasian professors

# Year of appointment Portrait Name Speciality Tenure (years)
1 1663 Isaac Barrow by Mary Beale.jpg Isaac Barrow
(1630–1677)
Classics and mathematics 6
2 1669 GodfreyKneller-IsaacNewton-1689.jpg Isaac Newton
(1643–1727)
Mathematics and physics 33
3 1702 80px William Whiston
(1667–1752)
Mathematics 9
4 1711 80px Nicholas Saunderson
(1682–1739)
Mathematics 28
5 1739 80px John Colson
(1680–1760)
Mathematics 21
6 1760 Edwardwaring.jpg Edward Waring
(1736–1798)
Mathematics 38
7 1798 80px Isaac Milner
(1750–1820)
Mathematics and chemistry 22
8 1820 No image.png Robert Woodhouse
(1773–1827)
Mathematics 2
9 1822 80px Thomas Turton
(1780–1864)
Mathematics 4
10 1826 George Biddell Airy 1891.jpg George Biddell Airy
(1801–1892)
Astronomy 2
11 1828 Charles Babbage - 1860.jpg Charles Babbage
(1791–1871)
Mathematics and computing 11
12 1839 80px Joshua King
(1798–1857)
Mathematics 10
13 1849 Ggstokes.jpg George Gabriel Stokes
(1819–1903)
Physics and fluid mechanics 54
14 1903 80px Joseph Larmor
(1857–1942)
Physics 29
15 1932 80px Paul Dirac
(1902–1984)
Physics 37
16 1969 James Lighthill
(1924–1998)
Fluid mechanics 10
17 1979 Stephen Hawking.StarChild.jpg Stephen Hawking
(1942–2018)
Theoretical physics and cosmology 30
18 2009 No image.png Michael Green
(born 1946)
String theory 6
19 2015 80px Michael Cates
(born 1961)
Statistical mechanics of soft condensed matter current

Cultural references

In the final episode of the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, one of the main characters, the android Data, holds the Lucasian Chair in the late 24th century.[7][8][9]

References

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Further reading

  • Kevin Knox and Richard Noakes, From Newton to Hawking: A History of Cambridge University's Lucasian Professors of Mathematics ISBN 0-521-66310-5