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

, 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 edition
1987 with several reprints *Copson, E. T., ''Asymptotic Expansions'' (1965); reprint 1976
2nd edition
2004 *Copson, E. T., ''Metric Spaces'' (1968); reprint with corrections 1972; reprint 1979
pbk. reprint
1988 *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