Who was James Joseph Sylvester? (English Mathematician)

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Who was James Joseph Sylvester? Information on English mathematician James Joseph Sylvester biography, life story, works and contributions to mathematics.

James Joseph Sylvester

Source : wikipedia.org

James Joseph Sylvester; (1814-1897), English mathematician, who was the founder and first editor of the American Journal of Mathematics. He was born in London on Sept. 3, 1814, and educated at Cambridge University. He did not take his degree there, however, because his Jewish faith prevented him from subscribing to the Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican Church. On leaving Cambridge in 1837, he was appointed professor of physics at London University. In 1840 he resigned to teach at the University of Virginia, but six months later his antislavery views forced him to return to England. For the next 14 years he worked as an insurance actuary and lawyer. At the same time he published innumerable mathematical papers, particularly on invariants, which established him as one of the best mathematicians of the day.

In 1855, Sylvester became professor of mathematics at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, where he remained until 1870. Among the papers he published in this period were ones on aeterminants, the theory of numbers, invariants, and a proof for the discovery of imaginary roots for algebraical equations up to and including the fifth power.

In 1877, Sylvester went to the United States I again, this time as the first professor of mathematics at Johns Hopkins University. Besides his part in starting the American Journal of Mathematics, he was instrumental in the growth of the study of higher mathematics in the United States. In 1883 he returned to England to teach mathematics at Oxford University. He died in London on March 15, 1897.

What Are the James Joseph Sylvester Achievements?

James Joseph Sylvester was an English mathematician who made many important contributions to a wide range of mathematical fields, including algebra, geometry, and number theory. Some of his most notable achievements include:

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Sylvester introduced the concept of a matrix, which is a rectangular array of numbers that can be used to represent linear transformations. Matrices are now an important tool in many areas of mathematics and have numerous applications in science and engineering.

Sylvester developed the theory of invariants, which deals with the properties of algebraic equations that are preserved under certain transformations. This work laid the foundations for the study of abstract algebra.

Sylvester introduced the term “graph” to describe a diagram showing the relationship between two sets of data. He also made significant contributions to the study of graph theory, a branch of mathematics that deals with the properties of graphs and their applications.

Sylvester played a key role in the development of the theory of elliptic functions, which are functions that can be expressed in terms of the elliptic integral. This work has important applications in many areas of mathematics, including geometry, number theory, and the study of special functions.

Sylvester also made important contributions to the study of determinants, which are used to solve systems of linear equations. He introduced the concept of a “permanent” of a matrix, which is a type of determinant that is now widely used in many areas of mathematics and computer science.

Overall, James Joseph Sylvester’s contributions to mathematics have had a lasting impact and have influenced the development of many areas of the discipline.

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