William Rowan Hamilton

Summary

William Rowan Hamilton is a human^[1]. He was born in Dublin^[2]. He was born on August 4, 1805^[3]. He passed away in Dublin^[4]. He died on September 2, 1865^[5]. He worked as a mathematician^[6], physicist^[7], astronomer^[8], university teacher^[9], and theoretical physicist^[10]. He ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,159 views/month, #6,942 of 1,000,298).^[11]

Key Facts

• William Rowan Hamilton was born in Dublin^[2].
• William Rowan Hamilton died in Dublin^[4].
• William Rowan Hamilton was born on August 4, 1805^[3].
• William Rowan Hamilton died on September 2, 1865^[5].
• Burial took place at Mount Jerome Cemetery^[12].
• William Rowan Hamilton's father was Archibald Rowan-Hamilton^[13].
• Among William Rowan Hamilton's spouses was Helen Maria Bayly^[14].
• A child of William Rowan Hamilton was William Edwin Hamilton^[15].
• William Rowan Hamilton held citizenship in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland^[16].
• William Rowan Hamilton worked as a mathematician^[6].
• William Rowan Hamilton worked as a physicist^[7].
• William Rowan Hamilton's professions included astronomer^[8].
• William Rowan Hamilton's professions included university teacher^[9].
• William Rowan Hamilton's professions included theoretical physicist^[10].
• William Rowan Hamilton's field of work was mathematics^[17].
• William Rowan Hamilton's field of work was mechanics^[18].
• William Rowan Hamilton's field of work was astronomy^[19].
• William Rowan Hamilton's field of work was physics^[20].
• William Rowan Hamilton's field of work was mathematical physics^[21].
• William Rowan Hamilton's field of work was optics^[22].
• William Rowan Hamilton held the position of Royal Astronomer of Ireland^[23].
• William Rowan Hamilton was employed by Trinity College, Dublin^[24].
• William Rowan Hamilton was employed by Dunsink Observatory^[25].
• William Rowan Hamilton was educated at Trinity College, Dublin^[26].
• A notable work attributed to William Rowan Hamilton is Hamilton's principle^[27].

Body

Origins and Family

William Rowan Hamilton's place of birth was Dublin^[2]. He was born on August 4, 1805^[3]. His father was Archibald Rowan-Hamilton^[13].

Education

William Rowan Hamilton's education included a stint at Trinity College, Dublin^[26]. Academic degrees include Bachelor of Arts^[28] and Master of Arts^[29]. He studied under John Brinkley^[30].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include mathematician^[6], physicist^[7], astronomer^[8], university teacher^[9], and theoretical physicist^[10]. Fields of work include mathematics^[17], an academic discipline^[31]; mechanics^[18], a branch of physics^[32]; astronomy^[19], a branch of science^[33]; physics^[20], a branch of science^[34]; mathematical physics^[21], a branch of mathematics^[35]; and optics^[22], a branch of physics^[36]. Employers include Trinity College, Dublin^[24], a collegiate university^[37], in Ireland^[38], founded in 1592^[39], headquartered in Dublin^[40] and Dunsink Observatory^[25], an astronomical observatory^[41], in Ireland^[42]. William Rowan Hamilton held the position of Royal Astronomer of Ireland^[23].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Hamilton's principle^[27], On the osculating twisted cubic to a curve of double curvature^[43], VIII. Second theorem of algebraic elimination, connected with the question of the possibility of resolving, in finite terms, equations of the Fifth degree^[44], XCI. Theorem respecting algebraic elimination, connected with the question of the possibility of resolving in finite terms the general equation of the fifth degree. Extracted by permission, from a communication recently made to the Royal Iris^[45], quaternion^[46], and Hamiltonian mechanics^[47]. Things named for William Rowan Hamilton include Hamiltonian mechanics^[48], a theory^[49]; Hamiltonian operator^[50]; Ricci flow^[51], a mathematical concept^[52]; Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation^[53], a partial differential equation^[54]; Hamilton's principle^[55], a principle^[56]; Hamiltonian system^[57]; Hamilton–Jacobi equation^[58]; and Hamiltonian^[59].

Recognition

Awards received include Royal Medal^[60], a science award^[61], in United Kingdom^[62], founded in 1826^[63]; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences^[64], a fellowship award^[65]; and Cunningham Medal^[66], a science award^[67], in Ireland^[68], founded in 1796^[69].

Personal Life

Among William Rowan Hamilton's spouses was Helen Maria Bayly^[14]. A child of him was William Edwin Hamilton^[15]. His religion is recorded as Anglicanism^[70].

Death and Burial

William Rowan Hamilton died on September 2, 1865^[5]. He died in Dublin^[4]. Burial took place at Mount Jerome Cemetery^[12].

Why It Matters

William Rowan Hamilton ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,159 views/month, #6,942 of 1,000,298).^[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.^[71] He is known by 13 alternative names across languages and contexts.^[72]

He has been cited as an influence by Alexander Macfarlane^[73], a mathematician^[74], 1851–1913^[75], of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland^[76], awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh^[77].

He is credited with the discovery of quaternion^[78], founded in 1843^[79] and Hamiltonian mechanics^[80], a theory^[81]. Entities named for him include Hamiltonian mechanics^[48], a theory^[49]; Hamiltonian operator^[50]; Ricci flow^[51], a mathematical concept^[52]; Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation^[53], a partial differential equation^[54]; Hamilton's principle^[55], a principle^[56]; and Hamiltonian system^[57].

FAQs

Where was William Rowan Hamilton born?

Born in Dublin^[2], William Rowan Hamilton…

Where did William Rowan Hamilton die?

William Rowan Hamilton died in Dublin^[4].

Who were William Rowan Hamilton's parents?

William Rowan Hamilton's father was Archibald Rowan-Hamilton^[13].

Who was William Rowan Hamilton married to?

William Rowan Hamilton's spouses include Helen Maria Bayly^[14].

What did William Rowan Hamilton do for work?

William Rowan Hamilton worked as mathematician^[6], physicist^[7], astronomer^[8], university teacher^[9], and theoretical physicist^[10].

Where did William Rowan Hamilton go to school?

William Rowan Hamilton was educated at Trinity College, Dublin^[26].

What awards did William Rowan Hamilton receive?

Honors received include Royal Medal^[60], Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences^[64], and Cunningham Medal^[66].

Who did William Rowan Hamilton influence?

William Rowan Hamilton has been cited as an influence by Alexander Macfarlane^[73].

What did William Rowan Hamilton discover?

William Rowan Hamilton is credited as discoverer of quaternion^[78] and Hamiltonian mechanics^[80].