Happy William Rowan Hamilton Day!
(Usually this falls on the 16th but yesterday was a Sunday)
William Rowan Hamilton was an Irish mathmetician responsible for discovering a fair amount of things (particularly in Mechanics and Linear Algebra). Many engineers and mathmeticians would have a great deal of respect for him.
What makes the 16th (or 17th, in our case) of October so special is that it's the date Hamilton discovered what would be come to known as "quaternions", which is something I'm not entirely familiar with but can be assumed to be a big deal.
The story goes that Hamilton, previously stumped, was walking along the Brougham Bridge, Dublin, when he was hit with a flash of inspiration. He used his penknife to sketch his discovery on the rainling of the bridge - "i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1". Unfortunatly the sketch faded away but a memorial was set up there in its place.
Nowadays, to commemorate the discovery, maths enthusiasts alike participate in a walk along that same iconic bridge (like a geeky Pilgramage of sorts) and listin to lectures delivered by really brainy fellows. About maths. Presumuably.
SO if you happen to be around Dublin tonight at 7:30 you know where the party's happening
I can't remember the name of the guy who's giving the lecture this year but he's got a Feilds medal (mathematical equivalent to the Nobel Prize - considered the highest accolade in maths) so he knows his stuff.
Anyway, just a pointless fact. Use it to impress your friends at parties.
Point of thread-->As you've probobly guessed, I'm very fond of W.R.H. - he's been my role model since I first heard of him a year ago. Who are your role models? And please, elaboraote as to what makes him/her great.
(Usually this falls on the 16th but yesterday was a Sunday)
William Rowan Hamilton was an Irish mathmetician responsible for discovering a fair amount of things (particularly in Mechanics and Linear Algebra). Many engineers and mathmeticians would have a great deal of respect for him.
What makes the 16th (or 17th, in our case) of October so special is that it's the date Hamilton discovered what would be come to known as "quaternions", which is something I'm not entirely familiar with but can be assumed to be a big deal.
The story goes that Hamilton, previously stumped, was walking along the Brougham Bridge, Dublin, when he was hit with a flash of inspiration. He used his penknife to sketch his discovery on the rainling of the bridge - "i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1". Unfortunatly the sketch faded away but a memorial was set up there in its place.
Nowadays, to commemorate the discovery, maths enthusiasts alike participate in a walk along that same iconic bridge (like a geeky Pilgramage of sorts) and listin to lectures delivered by really brainy fellows. About maths. Presumuably.
SO if you happen to be around Dublin tonight at 7:30 you know where the party's happening
I can't remember the name of the guy who's giving the lecture this year but he's got a Feilds medal (mathematical equivalent to the Nobel Prize - considered the highest accolade in maths) so he knows his stuff.Anyway, just a pointless fact. Use it to impress your friends at parties.
Point of thread-->As you've probobly guessed, I'm very fond of W.R.H. - he's been my role model since I first heard of him a year ago. Who are your role models? And please, elaboraote as to what makes him/her great.