John Farrar (scientist)
John Farrar (born July 1, 1779 in Lincoln (Massachusetts) , † May 8, 1853 in Cambridge (Massachusetts) ) was an American physicist and mathematician. He was a professor of mathematics and physics at Harvard University .
Farrar studied at Phillips Academy in Andover and Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard in 1803, he studied theology at Phillips Academy and in 1805 became a tutor of ancient Greek at Harvard. In 1807 he became Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Physics. In 1836 he resigned from his chair for health reasons. Farrar had been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1808 .
Farrar published translations of French mathematics textbooks such as Sylvestre Lacroix's Algebra and excerpts from Adrien-Marie Legendre . At that time they were widely used as textbooks in the USA. In 1827 he published an Introduction to Astronomy.
On the occasion of a cyclone in 1815, he was the first to recognize the vortex nature of hurricanes . He was later followed by William Charles Redfield .
Farrar was married twice. In 1828 he married Eliza Ware Farrar (1791-1870), who came from Belgium and published children's books.
Web links
- John Farrar (1779-1853) . Short biography on the website of the Mathematics Department at Harvard University
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Farrar, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American physicist and mathematician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 1, 1779 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lincoln (Massachusetts) |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 8, 1853 |
| Place of death | Cambridge, Massachusetts |