H. F. Baker
Encyclopedia
Henry Frederick Baker was a British
mathematician
, working mainly in algebraic geometry
, but also remembered for contributions to partial differential equation
s (related to what would become known as soliton
s), and Lie group
s.
He was born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
, England
. He entered St John's College, Cambridge
in October 1884 and graduated Senior Wrangler in 1887, bracketed with 3 others. He was elected Fellow of St John's in 1888 where he remained for 68 years.
In June ,1898 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1911, he gave the presidential address to the London Mathematical Society
.
In January 1914 he was appointed Lowndean Professor of Astronomy
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, working mainly in 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...
, but also remembered for contributions to partial differential equation
Partial differential equation
In mathematics, partial differential equations are a type of differential equation, i.e., a relation involving an unknown function of several independent variables and their partial derivatives with respect to those variables...
s (related to what would become known as soliton
Soliton
In mathematics and physics, a soliton is a self-reinforcing solitary wave that maintains its shape while it travels at constant speed. Solitons are caused by a cancellation of nonlinear and dispersive effects in the medium...
s), and Lie group
Lie group
In mathematics, a Lie group is a group which is also a differentiable manifold, with the property that the group operations are compatible with the smooth structure...
s.
He was born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
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...
. He entered 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....
in October 1884 and graduated Senior Wrangler in 1887, bracketed with 3 others. He was elected Fellow of St John's in 1888 where he remained for 68 years.
In June ,1898 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1911, he gave the presidential address to 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:* * *...
.
In January 1914 he was appointed Lowndean Professor of Astronomy
Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry
The Lowndean chair of Astronomy and Geometry is one of the two major Professorships in Astronomy at Cambridge University, alongside the Plumian Professorship...
.
Works
- Principles of Geometry (first two volumes) (Cambridge: The University Press, 1922) (reissued by Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 2010. ISBN 9781108017831) - Abel's theorem and the allied theory, including the theory of the theta functions (Cambridge: The University Press, 1897)
- An introduction to the theory of multiply periodic functions (Cambridge: The University Press, 1907)
- 1943 An Introduction to Plane Geometry