Henry Thomas Herbert Piaggio
Henry Thomas Herbert Piaggio (born June 2, 1884 in London , † June 26, 1967 in Nottingham ) was an English mathematician and professor.
youth
Piaggio was the son of the owner of a dance academy in Margate and grew up in an orderly family relationship with a sister and a brother. Enrolled in the City of London School , he then studied mathematics at St John's College in Cambridge , where he received a master's degree and a doctorate in 1914.
Act
In 1908, six years before earning his doctorate, he was appointed lecturer in mathematics at the University of Nottingham as a research assistant to mathematics and physics professor WH Heaton . In 1919 Piaggio took over the professorship of the newly created chair of mathematics in Nottingham, which he held until 1950.
The focus of his research in the early years of his teaching activities was in the areas of differential equations and invariants , which in 1920 found its way into the book, An Elementary Treatise on Differential Equations and their Applications , which can be described as a standard work in mathematics .
In addition to this monograph, Piaggio has published numerous articles in specialist journals such as The Mathematical Gazette , Journal of the London Mathematical Society and Nature . In these print media, Piaggio dealt with a variety of mathematical problems in the fields of psychology, optics, aircraft navigation , indeterminism , relativity , probability and mechanics .
Piaggio's intensive occupation with the theory of differential equations and in particular the theory of invariants enabled him to be one of the first to understand Albert Einstein's theory of relativity with all its consequences. His book on differential equations, expanded in 1928 and translated into many languages, brought Piaggio so much recognition that even Einstein insisted on visiting him in Nottingham in 1929. The fact that Piaggio had a good knowledge of French and German was an advantage for both sides.
From 1944 to 1947 Piaggio was Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science at his university and a member of the Council of the British Mathematical Association .
Piaggio was a good chess player and an avid fan of tennis and cricket.
He was not married and died in Nottingham in 1967 after a brief illness.
Web links
- Three Sadleirian Professors from HTH Piaggio
- new members - Margate Civic Society ("The Old and New Meet at the Rendezvous"), Winter 2007, Issue No. 345 Henry's father Francis ("Frank") Piaggio briefly operated a dancing academy in the Marine Palace, which he leased from 1895. The Marine Palace was built in 1884 and destroyed in the Great Storm of 1897 , which devastated Margate .
proof
- ^ JJ O'Connor and EF Robertson: Henry Thomas Herbert Piaggio. University of St Andrews , November 2007, accessed November 24, 2019 .
- ^ A b c d e D A Young: HTH Piaggio, MA, D.Sc., 1884-1967. MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, accessed November 24, 2019 .
- ^ Longley, WR: An Elementary Differential Equations and their Applications , by HTH Piaggio. American Mathematical Society, accessed November 25, 2019 .
- ^ Journal of the London Mathematical Society. London Mathematical Society, accessed November 25, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Piaggio, Henry Thomas Herbert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British mathematician and professor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 2, 1884 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 26, 1967 |
| Place of death | Nottingham |