Edward Thomas Copson
FRSE (21 August 1901 – 16 February 1980) was a British
mathematician
A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems.
Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change.
History
On ...
who contributed widely to the development of mathematics at the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
, serving as
Regius Professor of Mathematics amongst other positions.
Life
He was born in
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, and was a pupil at
King Henry VIII School, Coventry. He studied at
St John's College, Oxford. He was appointed by
E. T. Whittaker
Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (24 October 1873 – 24 March 1956) was a British mathematician, physicist, and historian of science. Whittaker was a leading mathematical scholar of the early 20th-century who contributed widely to applied mathema ...
as a lecturer at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
, where he was later awarded a DSc.
He married Beatrice, the elder daughter of
E. T. Whittaker
Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (24 October 1873 – 24 March 1956) was a British mathematician, physicist, and historian of science. Whittaker was a leading mathematical scholar of the early 20th-century who contributed widely to applied mathema ...
, and moved to the University of St Andrews where he was
Regius Professor of Mathematics, and later Dean of Science, then Master of the United College. He was instrumental in the construction of the new Mathematics Institute building at the University.
He was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1924, his proposers being Sir
Edmund Taylor Whittaker
Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (24 October 1873 – 24 March 1956) was a British mathematician, physicist, and historian of science. Whittaker was a leading mathematical scholar of the early 20th-century who contributed widely to applied mathema ...
,
Herbert Stanley Allen,
Bevan Braithwaite Baker and
A. Crichton Mitchell. He was awarded the
Keith Medal
The Keith Medal was a prize awarded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy, for a scientific paper published in the society's scientific journals, preference being given to a paper containing a discovery, either in mathe ...
by the
Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1942 for his research in mathematics. He served as the Society's Vice President from 1950-53.
Work
Copson's primary focus was in
classical analysis
Analysis is the branch of mathematics dealing with continuous functions, limits, and related theories, such as differentiation, integration, measure, infinite sequences, series, and analytic functions.
These theories are usually studied in ...
,
asymptotic expansions,
differential and
integral equations
In mathematics, integral equations are equations in which an unknown function appears under an integral sign. In mathematical notation, integral equations may thus be expressed as being of the form: f(x_1,x_2,x_3,...,x_n ; u(x_1,x_2,x_3,...,x_n) ...
, and applications to problems in theoretical physics. His first book ''"The theory of functions of a complex variable"'' was published in 1935.
Publications
*Copson, E. T., ''An Introduction to the Theory of Functions of A Complex Variable'' (1935)
*Baker, Bevan Braithwaite; Copson, E. T., "The Mathematical Theory of Huygens' Principle" (1939); 2nd edition 1950
3rd edition1987 with several reprints
*Copson, E. T., ''Asymptotic Expansions'' (1965); reprint 1976
2nd edition2004
*Copson, E. T., ''Metric Spaces'' (1968); reprint with corrections 1972; reprint 1979
pbk. reprint1988
*Copson, E. T., ''Partial Differential Equations'' (1975)
References
Alumni of St John's College, Oxford
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
20th-century British mathematicians
People educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry
1901 births
1980 deaths
Academics of the University of St Andrews
{{UK-mathematician-stub