Edward Collingwood
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward Foyle Collingwood CBE
FRS FRSE DL
(17 January 1900-25 October 1970) was an English
mathematician and scientist
.
He was a member of the Eglingham
branch of a prominent Northumbrian family, the son of Col. Cuthbert Collingwood of the Lancashire Fusiliers
, whose family seat was at Lilburn Tower
, near Wooler
, Northumberland
. His great grandfather was a brother of Admiral Lord Collingwood
.
Collingwood was educated at the Royal Naval College at Osborne
, Isle of Wight
and at Dartmouth Royal Naval College and joined the Royal Navy
. By arrangement his first service was aboard HMS Collingwood but his naval career was cut short when in 1916 he was invalided out of the Navy following an accidental injury.
In 1918 he enrolled to study mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge
. His early academic results were not special and in 1922 he moved to Aberystwyth
where he became interested in complex analysis
and published a paper relating to Nevanlinnas theory
. He was awarded the Rayleigh Prize
in 1923 and following the award of the Rouse Ball travelling scholarship in 1925 he spent a year at the Sorbonne
.
He returned to Cambridge and was in 1929 awarded a doctorate for a thesis entitled Contributions to the theory of integral functions in finite order. Collingwood left Cambridge in 1937 when he was appointed High Sheriff of Northumberland
for that year. He was later appointed Deputy Lieutenant
of his home county.
During World War II
he served in the RNVR with the rank of Captain and was employed as a naval scientist. In 1945 he was appointed Chief Scientist in the Mine Design department of the Admiralty. For his service he was awarded the CBE
.
He returned to mathematics after the war and continued his interest in meromorphic function
and in 1949 published his research on the theory of cluster sets.
Collingwood was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
in 1954 and of the Royal Society
of London in 1965. He held several professional and civic appointments including President of the London Mathematical Society
1969-70, Chairman of the Council of Durham University
from 1953, Chairman of the Newcastle Hospital Board 1953-1968, Vice President of the International Hospital Federation 1959-1967 and Treasurer of the Medical Research Council
.
He was knighted in 1962.
He did not marry.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
FRS FRSE DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(17 January 1900-25 October 1970) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mathematician and scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
.
He was a member of the Eglingham
Eglingham
Eglingham is a village in Northumberland, England, situated about north-west of Alnwick and from Wooler. It lies in the sheltered valley of the Eglingham Burn, a tributary of the River Aln, about above sea level, in a rural conservation area set amongst rolling countryside, within of the...
branch of a prominent Northumbrian family, the son of Col. Cuthbert Collingwood of the Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
, whose family seat was at Lilburn Tower
Lilburn Tower
Lilburn Tower is a privately owned 19th century mansion house at Lilburn, near Wooler, Northumberland. The property is a Grade II* listed building and forming part of the Lilburn Estate...
, near Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. His great grandfather was a brother of Admiral Lord Collingwood
Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
.
Collingwood was educated at the Royal Naval College at Osborne
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and at Dartmouth Royal Naval College and joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. By arrangement his first service was aboard HMS Collingwood but his naval career was cut short when in 1916 he was invalided out of the Navy following an accidental injury.
In 1918 he enrolled to study mathematics 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...
. His early academic results were not special and in 1922 he moved to Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
where he became interested in complex analysis
Complex analysis
Complex analysis, traditionally known as the theory of functions of a complex variable, is the branch of mathematical analysis that investigates functions of complex numbers. It is useful in many branches of mathematics, including number theory and applied mathematics; as well as in physics,...
and published a paper relating to Nevanlinnas theory
Value distribution theory of holomorphic functions
In mathematics, the value distribution theory of holomorphic functions is a division of mathematical analysis. It tries to get quantitative measures of the number of times a function f assumes a value a, as z grows in size, refining the Picard theorem on behaviour close to an essential singularity...
. He was awarded the Rayleigh Prize
Smith's Prize
The Smith's Prize was the name of each of two prizes awarded annually to two research students in theoretical Physics, mathematics and applied mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.- History :...
in 1923 and following the award of the Rouse Ball travelling scholarship in 1925 he spent a year at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
.
He returned to Cambridge and was in 1929 awarded a doctorate for a thesis entitled Contributions to the theory of integral functions in finite order. Collingwood left Cambridge in 1937 when he was appointed High Sheriff of Northumberland
High Sheriff of Northumberland
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post...
for that year. He was later appointed Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of his home county.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in the RNVR with the rank of Captain and was employed as a naval scientist. In 1945 he was appointed Chief Scientist in the Mine Design department of the Admiralty. For his service he was awarded the CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
.
He returned to mathematics after the war and continued his interest in meromorphic function
Meromorphic function
In complex analysis, a meromorphic function on an open subset D of the complex plane is a function that is holomorphic on all D except a set of isolated points, which are poles for the function...
and in 1949 published his research on the theory of cluster sets.
Collingwood was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal 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 1954 and of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
of London in 1965. He held several professional and civic appointments including President of the London Mathematical Society
London Mathematical Society
-See also:* American Mathematical Society* Edinburgh Mathematical Society* European Mathematical Society* List of Mathematical Societies* Council for the Mathematical Sciences* BCS-FACS Specialist Group-External links:* * *...
1969-70, Chairman of the Council of Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
from 1953, Chairman of the Newcastle Hospital Board 1953-1968, Vice President of the International Hospital Federation 1959-1967 and Treasurer of the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
.
He was knighted in 1962.
He did not marry.