Duncan Farquharson Gregory
Encyclopedia
Duncan Farquharson Gregory (13 April 1813 – 23 February 1844), a Scottish
mathematician, was the youngest son of James Gregory
(1753–1821) and Isabella Macleod (1772–1847).
and originally taught by his mother. In October 1825 he was sent to the Edinburgh Academy
, and after two years of study spent a winter at a private academy in Geneva. While there his mathematical talent attracted attention, specifically geometry. On his return to Scotland, he attended classes at the Edinburgh University
, working at chemistry, making experiments in polarised light, and advancing in the higher parts of mathematics, guided by Professor Wallace, his mentor. In October 1833 he commenced residence at Trinity College, Cambridge
. He earned fifth wrangler in the tripos of 1837. He took the degrees of B.A. in 1838 and M.A. in 1841. He was elected fellow of Trinity College in October 1840.
in 1838. Upon completing his degrees, he served as Moderator in 1842, examiner through May 1843 and was also appointed assistant tutor. At the suggestion of his friend, Archibald Smith
, he founded and was the first editor of the Cambridge Mathematical Journal in November 1837, helped by Robert Leslie Ellis
who succeeded him as editor. Many of his articles for the CMJ were collected in The Mathematical Writings of D. F. Gregory, edited by his friend and colleague William Walton. In 1841 he published his Examples of the Processes of the Differential and Integral Calculus, which expanded the earlier work of John Herschel
, George Peacock
and Charles Babbage
to include the mathematics used to describe discontinuities observed in heat transfer
explored by Franch mathematician Joseph Fourier
, and the theory of undulatory light, a topic familiar to him. He was elected a member of the Philological Society
12 May 1843.
s (clockmakers
) and were written with Mr. Archibald Smith
. (On the Sympathy of Pendulums, See pp. 175–86, Mathematical Writings of D.F. Gregory.)
, like his father, was a chemist and physician. His great-great-grandfather James Gregory, the mathematician, designed the Gregorian telescope
. James's nephew, David Gregory, was appointed a professor of mathematics at the University of Edinburgh
in 1683.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mathematician, was the youngest son of James Gregory
James Gregory (physician)
James Gregory FRSE FRCPE was a Scottish physician and classicist.-Early life and education:He was the eldest son of John Gregory and Elizabeth Forbes , and was born in Aberdeen...
(1753–1821) and Isabella Macleod (1772–1847).
Education
He was born in AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and originally taught by his mother. In October 1825 he was sent to the Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
, and after two years of study spent a winter at a private academy in Geneva. While there his mathematical talent attracted attention, specifically geometry. On his return to Scotland, he attended classes at the Edinburgh University
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, working at chemistry, making experiments in polarised light, and advancing in the higher parts of mathematics, guided by Professor Wallace, his mentor. In October 1833 he commenced residence at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He earned fifth wrangler in the tripos of 1837. He took the degrees of B.A. in 1838 and M.A. in 1841. He was elected fellow of Trinity College in October 1840.
Mathematics
Initially recognized for his essay The Foundations of Algebra presented to the Royal Society of EdinburghRoyal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
in 1838. Upon completing his degrees, he served as Moderator in 1842, examiner through May 1843 and was also appointed assistant tutor. At the suggestion of his friend, Archibald Smith
Archibald Smith
Archibald Smith FRS FRSE was a Scottish mathematician and lawyer.He was the only son of James Smith FRS , a wealthy merchant and antiquary of Jordanhill, Glasgow, and his wife Mary, daughter of Alexander Wilson, professor of astronomy in Glasgow University...
, he founded and was the first editor of the Cambridge Mathematical Journal in November 1837, helped by Robert Leslie Ellis
Robert Leslie Ellis
Robert Leslie Ellis was an English polymath, remembered principally as a mathematician and editor of the works of Francis Bacon....
who succeeded him as editor. Many of his articles for the CMJ were collected in The Mathematical Writings of D. F. Gregory, edited by his friend and colleague William Walton. In 1841 he published his Examples of the Processes of the Differential and Integral Calculus, which expanded the earlier work of John Herschel
John Herschel
Sir John Frederick William Herschel, 1st Baronet KH, FRS ,was an English mathematician, astronomer, chemist, and experimental photographer/inventor, who in some years also did valuable botanical work...
, George Peacock
George Peacock
George Peacock was an English mathematician.-Life:Peacock was born on 9 April 1791 at Thornton Hall, Denton, near Darlington, County Durham. His father, the Rev. Thomas Peacock, was a clergyman of the Church of England, incumbent and for 50 years curate of the parish of Denton, where he also kept...
and Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage, FRS was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer...
to include the mathematics used to describe discontinuities observed in heat transfer
Heat transfer
Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the exchange of thermal energy from one physical system to another. Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as heat conduction, convection, thermal radiation, and phase-change transfer...
explored by Franch mathematician Joseph Fourier
Joseph Fourier
Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier was a French mathematician and physicist best known for initiating the investigation of Fourier series and their applications to problems of heat transfer and vibrations. The Fourier transform and Fourier's Law are also named in his honour...
, and the theory of undulatory light, a topic familiar to him. He was elected a member of the Philological Society
Philological Society
The Philological Society, or London Philological Society, is the oldest learned society in Great Britain dedicated to the study of language. The society was established in 1842 to "investigate and promote the study and knowledge of the structure, the affinities, and the history of languages"...
12 May 1843.
Other Disciplines
Acting as tutor, Duncan Gregory was also an examiner of his college and lectured occasionally in chemistry. Two of his papers explored the physics of pendulumPendulum
A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced from its resting equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the equilibrium position...
s (clockmakers
Pendulum clock
A pendulum clock is a clock that uses a pendulum, a swinging weight, as its timekeeping element. The advantage of a pendulum for timekeeping is that it is a resonant device; it swings back and forth in a precise time interval dependent on its length, and resists swinging at other rates...
) and were written with Mr. Archibald Smith
Archibald Smith
Archibald Smith FRS FRSE was a Scottish mathematician and lawyer.He was the only son of James Smith FRS , a wealthy merchant and antiquary of Jordanhill, Glasgow, and his wife Mary, daughter of Alexander Wilson, professor of astronomy in Glasgow University...
. (On the Sympathy of Pendulums, See pp. 175–86, Mathematical Writings of D.F. Gregory.)
Illness
His circumstances did not allow him to accept the Mathematical Chair at the University of Toronto offered in 1841. Illness overtook him the next year. Incapacitated, he left Cambridge in the spring of 1843, and died in Edinburgh the following February, at 30 years of age.Family
Duncan Farquharson Gregory never married. He was the youngest son of eleven children. His older brother WilliamWilliam Gregory (chemist)
William Gregory was a Scottish physician who is probably best known today for his work in chemistry. He studied under and translated some of the works of Liebig, the noted German chemist. Gregory also had interests in mesmerism and phrenology.- External links :...
, like his father, was a chemist and physician. His great-great-grandfather James Gregory, the mathematician, designed the Gregorian telescope
Gregorian telescope
The Gregorian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope designed by Scottish mathematician and astronomer James Gregory in the 17th century, and first built in 1673 by Robert Hooke...
. James's nephew, David Gregory, was appointed a professor of mathematics at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
in 1683.
Published Works
- Presentations made to the Cambridge Philosophical SocietyCambridge Philosophical SocietyThe Cambridge Philosophical Society is a scientific society at University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1819. The name derives from the medieval use of the word philosophy to denote any research undertaken outside the fields of theology and medicine...
.- 'On the real nature of symbolical algebra' - 14 May 1838.
- 'On the logarithms of negative quantities' - 26 November 1838.
- 'On photogenic drawings' - 22 April 1839
- 'On chemical classification' - 6 May 1839
- The Mathematical Writings of D. F. Gregory, M.A., Ed. W. Walton, (Cambridge, 1865).