Robert Adrain
Encyclopedia
Robert Adrain was a scientist
and mathematician
, considered one of the most brilliant mathematical minds of the time in America.
He was born in Carrickfergus
, Ireland
, but left Ireland after the failure of the uprising of the United Irishmen in 1798 and moved to Princeton, New Jersey
. He taught mathematics at various schools in the United States
. He was president of the York County Academy in York, Pennsylvania, from 1801 to 1805.
He is chiefly remembered for his formulation of the method of least squares, published in 1808. Adrain certainly did not know of the work of C.F. Gauss on least squares (published 1809), although it is possible that he had read A.M. Legendre's article on the topic (published 1804).
Adrain was an editor of and contributor to the Mathematical Correspondent
, the first mathematical journal
in the United States. Later he twice attempted to found his own journal, The Analyst, or, Mathematical Museum
, but in both the 1808 and 1814 attempts it did not attract sufficient subscribers and quickly ceased publication. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1813. In 1825 he founded a somewhat more successful publication targeting a wider readership, The Mathematical Diary
, which was published through 1832.
Adrain, Gauss, and Legendre all motivated the method of least squares by the problem of reconciling disparate physical measurements; in the case of Gauss and Legendre, the measurements in question were astronomical, and in Adrain's case they were survey measurements.
Adrain was the father of Congressman Garnett B. Adrain. Robert Adrain died in New Brunswick
, New Jersey
.
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...
and 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....
, considered one of the most brilliant mathematical minds of the time in America.
He was born in Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
, Ireland
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...
, but left Ireland after the failure of the uprising of the United Irishmen in 1798 and moved to Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
. He taught mathematics at various schools in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was president of the York County Academy in York, Pennsylvania, from 1801 to 1805.
He is chiefly remembered for his formulation of the method of least squares, published in 1808. Adrain certainly did not know of the work of C.F. Gauss on least squares (published 1809), although it is possible that he had read A.M. Legendre's article on the topic (published 1804).
Adrain was an editor of and contributor to the Mathematical Correspondent
Mathematical Correspondent
The Mathematical Correspondent was the first American "specialized scientific journal" and the first American mathematics journal, established in 1804, under the editorial guidance of George Baron. The journal published an essay by Robert Adrian which was the first to introduce Diophantine...
, the first mathematical journal
Mathematical journal
A mathematics journal is a scientific journal which publishes exclusively mathematics papers. A practical definition of the current state of mathematics, as a research field, is that it consists of theorems with proofs published in a reputable mathematics journal, and which usually have passed...
in the United States. Later he twice attempted to found his own journal, The Analyst, or, Mathematical Museum
The Analyst, or, Mathematical Museum
The Analyst, or, Mathematical Museum was an early American mathematics journal. Founded by Robert Adrain in 1808, it published one volume of four issues that year before discontinuing publication...
, but in both the 1808 and 1814 attempts it did not attract sufficient subscribers and quickly ceased publication. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1813. In 1825 he founded a somewhat more successful publication targeting a wider readership, The Mathematical Diary
The Mathematical Diary
The Mathematical Diary was an early American mathematical journal and mathematics magazine, published between 1825 and 1833.The Mathematical Diary was founded by Robert Adrain at Columbia College after two unsuccessful attempts, in 1808 and 1814, to start a more purely academic mathematics...
, which was published through 1832.
Adrain, Gauss, and Legendre all motivated the method of least squares by the problem of reconciling disparate physical measurements; in the case of Gauss and Legendre, the measurements in question were astronomical, and in Adrain's case they were survey measurements.
Adrain was the father of Congressman Garnett B. Adrain. Robert Adrain died in New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Further reading
- Robert Adrain. "Research concerning the probabilities of the errors which happen in making observations, &c". The Analyst, or Mathematical Museum. Vol. I, Article XIV, pp 93–109. Philadelphia: William P. Farrand and Co., 1808.
- Brian Hayes. "Science on the Farther Shore". American Scientist, 90(6):499, 2002. (Article may be viewed at: http://www.americanscientist.org/.)
- Stephen M. Stigler. "Mathematical statistics in the early States". Annals of Statistics, 6:239–265, 1978.
External links
- MacTutor biography
- http://www.libraryireland.com/biography/RobertAdrain.php