Carew Meredith
Encyclopedia
Carew Arthur Meredith (July 28, 1904 – March 31, 1976) was an influential Irish
logician, appointed to Trinity College, Dublin
in 1947. His work on condensed detachment
(inspired by the work of Łukasiewicz) was under-appreciated in his own time, but is influential in modern research.
He also proved the shortest known axiomatic bases for a number of logic systems. His achievements in that area were unsurpassed until automated theorem prover
s in the last few years, which build on his work, proved some shorter ones for some systems and proved his shortest for others.
Born July 28, 1904 into a distinguished Dublin family, he was the son of barrister
Arthur Francis Carew Meredith K.C., whose opinions were sought by Éamon de Valera
in drafting the constitution of the Irish Republic
(1919-22). Educated in England at Winchester College
, he went on to read mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin
, in 1922 becoming the first mathematical student to take a double first and 'B star' in two years.
Meredith was related to the another mathematician, Thomas Meredith
. He was a nephew of Richard Edmund Meredith
and a cousin of Monk Gibbon
, Judge James Creed Meredith
and Ralph Creed Meredith
. His old school friend from Winchester
, William Empson
, described him as "a small, gnomelike figure with a grin like a Cheshire cat and a pronounced Dublin accent (good for reading aloud from Joyce
)".
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
logician, appointed to Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in 1947. His work on condensed detachment
Condensed Detachment
Condensed detachment is a method of finding the most general possible conclusion given two formal logical statements.It was developed by the Irish logician Carew Meredith in the 1950s and inspired by the work of Łukasiewicz.-Informal description:...
(inspired by the work of Łukasiewicz) was under-appreciated in his own time, but is influential in modern research.
He also proved the shortest known axiomatic bases for a number of logic systems. His achievements in that area were unsurpassed until automated theorem prover
Automated theorem proving
Automated theorem proving or automated deduction, currently the most well-developed subfield of automated reasoning , is the proving of mathematical theorems by a computer program.- Decidability of the problem :...
s in the last few years, which build on his work, proved some shorter ones for some systems and proved his shortest for others.
Born July 28, 1904 into a distinguished Dublin family, he was the son of barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
Arthur Francis Carew Meredith K.C., whose opinions were sought by Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
in drafting the constitution of the Irish Republic
Irish Republic
The Irish Republic was a revolutionary state that declared its independence from Great Britain in January 1919. It established a legislature , a government , a court system and a police force...
(1919-22). Educated in England at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, he went on to read mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, in 1922 becoming the first mathematical student to take a double first and 'B star' in two years.
Meredith was related to the another mathematician, Thomas Meredith
Thomas Meredith
The Rev. Dr Thomas Meredith D.D., F.T.C.D. was an Anglo-Irish clergyman and mathematician, best remembered for his association with the poet Charles Wolfe, and as the subject of a ghost story related in True Irish Ghost Stories and Memorials to the Dead-Background:Born at Templerany House, Co...
. He was a nephew of Richard Edmund Meredith
Richard Edmund Meredith
The Rt. Hon. Richard Edmund Meredith PC, QC , was the Master of the Rolls in Ireland, a Privy Councillor, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland and Judicial Commissioner of the Irish Land Commission.-Career:...
and a cousin of Monk Gibbon
Monk Gibbon
William Monk Gibbon was an Irish poet and prolific author, known as "The Grand Old Man of Irish Letters". His collection of over twenty volumes of poetry, autobiography, travel and criticism are kept at Queen's University Belfast. He also wrote many published novels, and has been characterised as...
, Judge James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith K.C., LL.D. was an Irish nationalist of the early 20th century, who upheld Brehon Law. He was President of the Supreme Court of the Irish Republic, Chief Judicial Commissioner of Ireland and a Judge of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Ireland...
and Ralph Creed Meredith
Ralph Creed Meredith
The Ven. Ralph Creed Meredith, M.A., was an Anglican Cleric who succeeded Edward Keble Talbot as Chaplain to His Majesty, King George VI and afterwards Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II...
. His old school friend from Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, William Empson
William Empson
Sir William Empson was an English literary critic and poet.He was known as "燕卜荪" in Chinese.He was widely influential for his practice of closely reading literary works, fundamental to the New Critics...
, described him as "a small, gnomelike figure with a grin like a Cheshire cat and a pronounced Dublin accent (good for reading aloud from Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
)".
External links
- In Memoriam Carew Arthur Meredith. Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic Volume 18, no. 4 (1977), 513–516, for quick details of his life and some of his work.
- William Empson by John Haffenden