Thomas Kirkman
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| Thomas Penyngton Kirkman | |
| Born | March 31, 1806 Bolton, Lancashire |
|---|---|
| Died | February 3, 1895 (aged 88) |
| Occupation | Mathematician |
| Known for | Kirkman's schoolgirl problem |
Thomas Penyngton Kirkman (31 March 1806–3 February 1895) was a British mathematician. An important expositor of group theory in English, he is now remembered principally for a combinatorial problem which bears his name, Kirkman's schoolgirl problem. In contemporary terms, he proved an existence theorem for Steiner triple systems.[1] He also attempted to extend the theory of quaternions.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Smith, David (1958). History of Mathematics, Volume I. New York, New York: Dover Publications, Inc.. p. 469.
[edit] Further reading
- Macfarlane, Alexander; Mansfield Merriman and Robert S. Woodward (Editors) (1916). Lectures on Ten British Mathematicians of the Nineteenth Century. New York, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9942.
