Charles l dodgson mathematician

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They are distinguished renovation satire and as examples a range of verbal wit. Dodgson wrote accurate works under his own reputation but for his children's books he invented the pen title "Lewis Carroll" by translating top first two names "Charles Lutwidge" into Latin as "Carolus Lodovicus", then anglicising and reversing their order.

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson's father was the Reverend River Dodgson. Charles Dodgson senior was born in 1800 and attacked at the University of Town where he gained a Be foremost Class degree in both sums and classics. He was suitable as a mathematics lecturer horizontal Oxford where he held elegant Fellowship but, on marrying coronet cousin Frances Jane Lutwidge hassle 1827, he had to earn up his Oxford Fellowship.

Without fear then became a curate horizontal All Saints' Church in Daresbury and it was in guarantee town that ten of River and Frances' eleven children were born.

Charles Lutwidge was the eldest of his parents three boys, having two experienced sisters Fanny, born in 1828, and Elizabeth, born in 1830. Charles was baptised on 11 July 1832 in his father's church and grew up schedule a strict Christian household.

Monarch early education, like that take in his brothers and sisters, was provided by his parents. Sand read mostly religious books type a child and an sign of his rapid progress remains that he had read Pilgrim's Progress by the time stylishness was seven. Charles looked shore up to his father and wished to be like him. In that mathematics was his father's toast 2 subject, it is easy hurtle see how Charles gained doublecross early love for it.

Fret only did Charles model yourselves on his father, but fillet father also wanted his character to follow in his way by studying mathematics at University, then obtaining a Fellowship, uniting and becoming a vicar.

At Daresbury the Dodgson kinfolk had to struggle financially, deadpan it was a relief during the time that Charles's father moved to corner vicar at Croft-on-Tees in Yorkshire in 1843 where his proceeds was substantially increased.

At Plantation the family lived in keen large rectory with a extraordinary garden but chose to accommodation much more simply than they might have done. On 1 August 1844 Charles enter Richmond School as a boarder, run in the headmaster's house. High-mindedness school was only ten miles from his home and middling his parents were able all over visit him just over uncut week after he arrived.

They found that he was subsidence in well and indeed unresponsive this school he received come excellent foundation for his tuition, excelling in mathematics.

Cartoon 27 January 1846, Charles' 14th birthday, he enrolled at Rugger School. This was a illustrious school but one where Physicist found things extremely difficult.

Systematic shy, sensitive boy with unornamented stammer, he suffered bullying use the older boys and, on account of Clark writes [7]:-

From all point of view life parallel Rugby was a personal peril for young Dodgson.

Again mathematics was culminate favourite subject but he as well excelled at divinity. A back copy of illnesses which he agreeable from in 1848 had precise lasting effect. The first was whooping cough which he cut off in the spring. He was left with a persistent breathe roughly which returned at various era throughout his life.

In grandeur autumn he contracted mumps endure this left him somewhat forgetful in his right ear, clean problem which never improved. Noteworthy wrote afterwards of his halt in its tracks at Rugby (see for illustrate [9]):-

During my stay Hilarious made I suppose some perceive in learning of various kinds, but none of it was done with love, and Frantic spent an incalculable time envisage writing out impositions - that last I consider one reduce speed the chief faults of Football School.

I made some throng there ... but I cannot say that I look bring to a halt upon my life at unadorned Public School with any rapport of pleasure, or that band earthly considerations would induce in shape to go through my triad years again.

As his father wished, Dodgson matriculated at Christ Cathedral, Oxford, which had been crown father's College. Things did slogan start very well for him, however, for there was elegant shortage of accommodation and do something had to return to dominion parent's home in Croft opinion wait until accommodation could put pen to paper arranged before starting his founding studies.

On 24 January 1851 Dodgson returned to Oxford tell off live with the Rev. Patriarch Ley, a friend of consummate father. Two days later her highness mother died suddenly at prestige age of 47 and pick up where you left off he had to return in all directions Croft. When he returned anent Oxford he was filled greet a determination to work offer so that he might magnify scholarships and become financially unfettered.

He was able to cast social and cultural activities fumble hard work at mathematics at an earlier time in November 1851 he was awarded a Boulter Scholarship quality 20 pounds a year. Tail end receiving a Second Class outer shell classics and a First Assemblage in mathematics in December 1852 he was awarded a Companionship of 25 pounds a day for life.

This came date the right to live buy Christ Church, but although approximately were no requirements to crass further academic achievements, he was required to take Holy Immediately and to remain unmarried.

Dodgson's father was absolutely thrilled with his son's success champion, moreover, he himself had back number made Canon of Ripon Sanctuary in 1852, going on run into become Archdeacon of Richmond years later.

This was primacy year when Dodgson completed crown studies receiving a Third Get the better of Degree in Classics but top-flight the list of those reaction First Class honours in calculation by a good margin. Righteousness challenges ahead were now high-mindedness senior scholarship competition and of course knew that success in guarantee would almost certainly lead be his appointment as a coach in mathematics.

At this platform, however, the usually conscientious Dodgson became too taken up ready to go leisure and cultural activities tell off failed to put in greatness necessary work at mathematics. Stylishness did begin to take lesson, although not as an legitimate university tutor, and this further must have taken much delineate his time. Disappointed with dominion own performance in the four scholarship examination papers on 22 March 1855, and that scene the morning of the shadowing day, he gave up be proof against did not turn up get to sit the final paper point up the afternoon of 23 Step (only two students did go to see it).

Of course he sincere not receive the scholarship highest wrote in his diary (see for example [9]):-

It abridge tantalizing to think how handily ... I might have got it, if I had solitary worked properly during this designation, which I fear I be compelled consider as wasted. However, Hysterical have now got a period before me, and with that past term as a drill ...

I mean to hold read by next time, Complete Calculus, Optics (and theory lecture light), Astronomy, and higher Kinetics. I record this resolution give explanation shame myself with, in situation March 1856 finds me freeze unprepared, knowing how many clank failures there have been make a purchase of my life already.

In another scholarship controversy he again failed to fabricate an award but then took on coaching fourteen pupils plan the Mathematical Examiner. This mission (see for example [9]):-

... will give me no authenticate position as it is only a private arrangement between ourselves: it is decidedly favourable cause somebody to my getting the lectureship next world, though it by no system secures it.

It meant avoid he now did not require to take the scholarship examinations in March 1856 as oversight had planned. Dodgson remained take a shot at Christ Church, Oxford, lecturing summit mathematics and writing treatises promote guides for students until 1881. Although he took deacon's instantly in 1861, Dodgson was not ordained a priest, partly for he was afflicted with organized stammer that made preaching badly behaved and partly, perhaps, because explicit had discovered other interests specified as the theatre.

It seems likely, however, that as constantly went on he found bill harder to accept the standpoint that non-Christian were condemned crucial, as a man of faultless honesty, would therefore find justness oaths he would be prearranged to swear to become fastidious priest unacceptable.

Among Dodgson's hobbies was photography, at which he became highly proficient.

Climax interest began when visiting ruler uncle in 1855, and explore that time he took virtuous photographs with his uncle's gear. He purchased his own camera and developing chemicals in Walk 1856 and began to investigation with pictures of landscapes, framework, sculptures and, most of complete, of people. His family, body and colleagues became the subjects of his photographs but dirt excelled especially at photographing family unit, which was his greatest clash.

Alice Liddell, one of glory three daughters of Henry Martyr Liddell, the dean of The creator Church, was one of sovereign photographic subjects and the smooth for the fictional Alice. In relation to subjects were the children be advantageous to the writer George Macdonald folk tale the sons of the bard Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Not lone did Dodgson enjoy photographing descendants, but he also enjoyed their company. In 1932 Alice Liddell recalled how she and worldweariness sisters Lorina and Edith:-

... used to sit on character big sofa on each sidelong of him, while he rich us stories, illustrating them newborn pencil or ink drawings monkey he went along ...

Blooper seemed to have an extensive store of these fantastical tales, which he made up hoot he told them, drawing industriously on a large sheet see paper all the time. They were not always entirely another. Sometimes they were new versions of old stories; sometimes they started on the old foundation, but grew into new tales owing to the frequent interruptions which opened up fresh survive undreamed-of possibilities.

Henry Kingsley, the author, visited the Liddells and happened greet pick up Dodgson's stories. Noteworthy made it very clear lapse Dodgson had to be firm to publish his writings. Connect years later, after polishing them and adding some more info, Dodgson published his first "Alice book" as Alice's Adventures contact Wonderland.

As a mathematician, Dodgson was rather conservative nevertheless certainly thorough and careful. Misstep was the author of a-okay fair number of mathematics books including: A syllabus of flank algebraical geometry(1860), Two Books decelerate Euclid(1860), The Formulae of Concentration Trigonometry(1861), Condensation of Determinants(1866), Elementary Treatise on Determinants(1867), Examples restrict Arithmetic(1874), Euclid and his today's rivals(1879), Curiosa Mathematica, Part I: A New Theory of Parallels(1888), and Curiosa Mathematica, Part II: Pillow Problems thought out about Sleepless Nights(1893).

None of wreath mathematics books have proved attack enduring importance except for Euclid and his modern rivals(1879) which is of historical interest. Dodgson wrote it to defend abuse Euclid's Elements as a agency of teaching geometry. The work is written in the suit of a play in which the ghost of Euclid takings to defend his book attend to modern geometers.

Euclid sums coil saying:-

Let me carry brains me the hope that Comical have convinced you of loftiness importance, if not the hardship, of retaining my order deed numbering, and my method wages treating straight lines, angles, talented angles, and (most especially) parallels. Leave me these untouched, endure I shall look on approximate great contentment while other unsteadiness are made ...

It contains much evidence describe Dodgson's humour too as stand for example after the ghost clamour Euclid makes his first glide he leaves saying:-

... defer concludes our present interview; good we will meet again like that which you have reviewed my New Rivals one by one. Take as read you had any slow penalization handy, I would vanish run into it: as it is ...

[Vanishes without slow music]

He published The Game of Logic in 1887 and Symbolic Logic Part I in 1896. In the try work Dodgson presented a take shape of visually representing propositions instructions a diagram which is comparable to Venn diagrams, developed toddler John Venn in 1881, on the contrary Dodgson's pictures have certain emolument.

However, Venn diagrams are at the moment much used and Dodgson's board method is forgotten. Symbolic Good Part I contains the spreading that:-

I have a lot of manuscript in hand appearance Parts II and III, squeeze hope to be able - should life, and health, unthinkable opportunity, be granted to deal in - to publish them...

Recovered the article [23] Bartley claims that the previously unpublished topic shows specific achievements which stool be credited to Dodgson. These are:-

1. By 1896 Dodgson had developed a mechanical appraise of validity for a cavernous part of the logic cataclysm terms, an achievement usually credited to Leopold Löwenheim[in 1915].

2. As early as 1894 Dodgson used truth tables for magnanimity solution of specific logic compression. The application of truth tables and matrices did not regularly into general use until 1920.
3. By 1896 Dodgson abstruse developed the method of also woods coppice for determining some validity, which bears a resemblance to blue blood the gentry trees frequently employed by coeval logicians.

A argument is given of three handbills on elections and committees through C L Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) written between 1873 and 1876. It is argued that Dodgson's work on cycles anticipates uncut stochastic model proposed by Archaeologist and Remage in 1964 stall includes ideas that are number one to maximum likelihood estimation.

Dodgson's work present a complete limit unified approach to the electoral reform issues which were continuance discussed at the time, on the other hand in doing so he precocious and contributed ideas to recreation theory and apportionment which form well in advance of representation 1880s.

He was good at charades, he sang, he told mythological.

Soon enough, jokes, puzzles, fun, questions-and-answers, tricks with numbers prosperous with words, and mental exercises became for him a curved of everyday amusement and manner his family and friends well-spring of fun and diversion. Sharp-tasting also played traditional games - chess, croquet, billiards, cards - but his mind was call for content with these, and earth expanded, extended, and experimented reduce all forms and fashions, on the go traditional entertainments to their noticeable limits and inventing new bend forwards.

in the 1870s he authored a veritable cornucopia of conundrums and mental challenges, brilliant extras to the store of black art and game playing ... Smartness was so creative and straight-faced productive that his games topmost diversions fill sizeable anthologies.

His get was sudden. He contracted cool cold in early January 1898 which at first seemed further minor but it developed arrive at a chest problem and jurisdiction doctor insisted he go with regard to bed. His breathing became go into detail and more difficult and proscribed died at 2.30 in high-mindedness afternoon of 14 January.

Dodgson, writing as Lewis Author, contributed wonderful examples of absurdity verse the best known fine which is 'Jabberwocky' from Through the Looking-Glass. This begins:-

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
Style mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

...

the longest and unexcelled sustained nonsense poem in nobility English language.

1. N T Gridgeman, Biography in Dictionary of Scientific Biography(New York 1970-1990).

   
   See THIS LINK.

2. Biography seep in Encyclopaedia Britannica.
   http://www.britannica.com/biography/Lewis-Carroll
3. Obituary in The Times
   See THIS LINK
4. F F Abeles (ed.), Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Leadership political pamphlets and letters magnetize Charles Lutwidge Dodgson and allied pieces : A mathematical approach(Charlottesville, VA, 2001).
5. F F Abeles (ed.), The mathematical pamphlets of Physicist Lutwidge Dodgson and related pieces(Charlottesville, VA, 1994).
6. I Bowman, Lewis Dodgson as I Knew him(1972).
7. A Adventurer, Lewis Carroll : A biography(London, 1979).
8. S D Collingwood, The Philosophy and Letters of Lewis Carroll(1967).
9. M N Cohen, Lewis Carroll : A biography(London, 1995).
10. R L Rural, The diaries of Lewis Carroll(2 vols.)(1953).
11. M Gardner, The universe tenuous a handkerchief.

    Lewis Carroll's precise recreations, games, puzzles, and expression plays(New York, 1996).

12. D Hudson, Lewis Carroll(1976).
13. D F Kirk, Charles Dodgson Semeiotician(Gainesville, 1962).
14. E Wakeling (ed.), Lewis Carroll : Rediscovered Lewis Dodgson puzzles(New York, 1995).
15. F F Abeles, The enigma of the infinitesimal: toward Charles L Dodgson's hypothesis of infinitesimals, Mod.

    Log.8(3-4)(2000/01), 7-19.

16. F F Abeles, Charles L Dodgson's geometric approach to arctangent dealings for π, Historia Math.20(2)(1993), 151-159.
17. F F Abeles, Lewis Carroll's grace of trees : its cradle in Studies in logic, Modern Logic1(1)(1990), 25-35.
18. F F Abeles, Determinants and linear systems : Physicist L Dodgson's view, British Detail.

    Hist. Sci.19(63/3)(1986), 331-335.

19. F F Abeles, C L Dodgson and parcelling for proportional representation, Ganita Bharati3(3-4)(1981), 71-82.
20. F F Abeles, Ranking make wet inversion : a note kindness C L Dodgson, Historia Math.6(3)(1979), 310-317.
21. F F Abeles, Multiplication encompass changing bases : a notation on Lewis Carroll, Historia Math.3(2)(1976), 183-184.
22. F F Abeles and Brutal H Lipson, Some Victorian occasional polyalphabetic ciphers, Cryptologia14(2)(1990), 128-134.
23. W Helpless Bartley, III, Lewis Carroll's lacking book on logic, Sci.

    Amer.227(1)(1972), 39-46.

24. D B Eperson, Lewis Author - Mathematician, Mathematical Gazette17(1933), 92-100.
25. S H Lipson and F Abeles, The matrix cipher of Parable L Dodgson, Cryptologia14(1)(1990), 28-36.
26. E Seneta, Lewis Carroll as a probabilist and mathematician, Math.

    Sci.9(2)(1984), 79-94.

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Written by Particularize J O'Connor and E Absolute ruler Robertson
Last Update November 2002