William Rowan Hamilton
William Rowan Hamilton (4 August 1805 – 2 September 1865) was an Irish mathematician, physicist and astronomer. He made important contributions to the development of optics, dynamics, mathematics, geometry and algebra. His discovery of quaternions is the most famous work. His work was important in the development of quantum mechanics. Hamilton's talent was discovered very early by the astronomer John Brinkley. In 1823, when Hamilton was eighteen, John Brinkley said: "I don't say he would be but now he is the leading mathematician of his age". Hamilton was the first to introduce the term "vector", "association law".[1]
William Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| File:WilliamRowanHamilton.jpeg William Rowan Hamilton | |
| Born | 4 August 1805 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 2 September 1865 Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish, Scottish origin |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
| Known for | Quaternion and Hamiltonian |
| Scientific career | |
William Rowan Hamilton Media
- Master Noakes, a mental calculator Wellcome L0034923.jpg
Master Noakes, the mental calculator, 1827 lithograph
Quaternion Plaque on Broom Bridge in Dublin
- William Rowan Hamilton Plaque.jpg
The plaque on the birthplace of William Rowan Hamilton on Dominick Street in Dublin
Reference
- ↑ "Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (V)". Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2019.