Francis Sowerby Macaulay
Encyclopedia
Francis Sowerby Macaulay FRS (11 February 1862 – 9 February 1937) was an English
mathematician who made significant contributions to algebraic geometry
. He is most famous for his 1916 book, The Algebraic Theory of Modular Systems, which greatly influenced the later course of algebraic geometry. Both Cohen-Macaulay ring
s and the Macaulay resultant are named for Macaulay.
Macaulay was educated at Kingswood School
and graduated with distinction from St John's College, Cambridge
. He taught top mathematics class in St Paul's School in London
from 1885 to 1911. His students included J. E. Littlewood
and G. N. Watson
.
In 1928 Macaulay was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mathematician who made significant contributions to algebraic geometry
Algebraic geometry
Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which combines techniques of abstract algebra, especially commutative algebra, with the language and the problems of geometry. It occupies a central place in modern mathematics and has multiple conceptual connections with such diverse fields as complex...
. He is most famous for his 1916 book, The Algebraic Theory of Modular Systems, which greatly influenced the later course of algebraic geometry. Both Cohen-Macaulay ring
Cohen-Macaulay ring
In mathematics, a Cohen–Macaulay ring is a particular type of commutative ring, possessing some of the algebraic-geometric properties of a nonsingular variety, such as local equidimensionality....
s and the Macaulay resultant are named for Macaulay.
Macaulay was educated at Kingswood School
Kingswood School
Kingswood School, referred to as 'Kingswood', is an independent day and boarding school located in Bath, Somerset, England. The school is coeducational and educates some 950 children aged 3 to 18. It is notable for being founded by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in 1748...
and graduated with distinction from St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. He taught top mathematics class in St Paul's School in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1885 to 1911. His students included J. E. Littlewood
John Edensor Littlewood
John Edensor Littlewood was a British mathematician, best known for the results achieved in collaboration with G. H. Hardy.-Life:...
and G. N. Watson
G. N. Watson
Neville Watson was an English mathematician, a noted master in the application of complex analysis to the theory of special functions. His collaboration on the 1915 second edition of E. T. Whittaker's A Course of Modern Analysis produced the classic “Whittaker & Watson” text...
.
In 1928 Macaulay was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
External links
- The Algebraic Theory of Modular Systems, The Cornell Library of Historical Mathematical Monographs