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Speaker: Dennis Connolly
Date: Friday, November 30th
Time: Noon to 12:50 p.m.
Location: D634
Title:
Cambridge Mathematical Tripos Exams. Famous Wranglers and non-Wranglers
Abstract:
Cambridge declared its first Senior Wrangler in 1748 (John Bates) the student who finishes highest in the 3rd year undergraduate, so called Mathematical Tripos Exams. The Math Tripos Exams run approx. for 60 hours over a period of 10 days.
The student who comes top, is called the Senior Wrangler, he almost always became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and was almost always knighted. The Maths Tripos exams continue to this day, the best students (1st class honours) are known as Wranglers.
Some famous wranglers: Isaac Todhunter, Lord Kelvin, E, J. Routh, James Maxwell, Lord Raleigh, G. H. Hardy, J. E. Littlewood, Eddie Whittaker, Arthur Eddington, G.N. Watson, Arran Fernandez, … .
Two famous non-wranglers were Philippa Fawcett (1890 Tripos exams) and George Polya (1925 Tripos exams).
Main reference: Andrew Warwick’s “Masters of Theory” .
Contact:
Barb Hodgson | hodgsonb@uleth.ca | (403) 329-2470 | uleth.ca/artsci/math-computer-science
