The Lowndean chair of Astronomy and Geometry is one of the two major Professorships in

Astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

(alongside the Plumian Professorship) and a major Professorship in Mathematics at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. It was founded in 1749 by Thomas Lowndes, an

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

from Overton in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

. The original bequest stated that the holder must give two courses of twenty lectures each year, one in astronomy, and the other in

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

, and spend at least six weeks making astronomical observations. Originally the holder was elected by a committee consisting of the

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...

, the Lord President of the Privy Council, the

Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and abov ...

, the

Lord Steward of the Household The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is an official of the Royal Household in England. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government. Until 1782, the office was one of considerable political importance ...

, and the Lord High Treasurer of the

First Lord of the Treasury The first lord of the Treasury is the head of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, and is by convention also the prime minister. This office is not equivalent to the ...

. By the 20th century, the electors had changed to comprise the most senior scientists in the United Kingdom: the

President of the Royal Society The president of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected Head of the Royal Society of London who presides over meetings of the society's council. After informal meetings at Gresham College, the Royal Society was officially founded on 28 November ...

, the President of the

Royal Astronomical Society (Whatever shines should be observed) , predecessor = , successor = , formation = , founder = , extinction = , merger = , merged = , type = NGO ...

, the

Astronomer Royal Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834. The post ...

, the

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, and the Lucasian, Sadleirian, and Plumian Professors. Notwithstanding the title, a professor can be chosen who specializes solely or chiefly in only one, rather than both, of the subjects of astronomy and geometry.

Lowndean Professors

* 1750–1771

Roger Long Roger Long (1680 – 16 December 1770) was an English astronomer, and Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge between 1733 and 1770. Roger Long was the son of Thomas Long of Croxton, Norfolk. He was educated at Norwich School and later admitted ...

* 1771–1795 John Smith * 1795–1837

William Lax William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

* 1837–1859

George Peacock George Peacock FRS (9 April 1791 – 8 November 1858) was an English mathematician and Anglican cleric. He founded what has been called the British algebra of logic. Early life Peacock was born on 9 April 1791 at Thornton Hall, Denton, nea ...

* 1859–1892

John Couch Adams John Couch Adams (; 5 June 1819 – 21 January 1892) was a British mathematician and astronomer. He was born in Laneast, near Launceston, Cornwall, and died in Cambridge. His most famous achievement was predicting the existence and position of ...

* 1892–1913

Robert Stawell Ball Sir Robert Stawell Ball (1 July 1840 – 25 November 1913) was an Irish astronomer who founded the screw theory. He was Royal Astronomer of Ireland at Dunsink Observatory. Life He was the son of naturalist Robert Ball, and Amelia Gresley Hel ...

* 1914–1936

H. F. Baker Henry Frederick Baker FRS FRSE (3 July 1866 – 17 March 1956) was a British mathematician, working mainly in algebraic geometry, but also remembered for contributions to partial differential equations (related to what would become known as ...

* 1936–1970 W. V. D. Hodge * 1970–1989

J. Frank Adams John Frank Adams (5 November 1930 – 7 January 1989) was a British mathematician, one of the major contributors to homotopy theory. Life He was born in Woolwich, a suburb in south-east London, and attended Bedford School. He began research ...

* 1990–1999

Graeme Segal Graeme Bryce Segal FRS (born 21 December 1941) is an Australian mathematician, and professor at the University of Oxford. Biography Segal was educated at the University of Sydney, where he received his BSc degree in 1961. He went on to receiv ...

* 2000–2014

Burt Totaro Burt James Totaro, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (b. 1967), is an American mathematician, currently a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, specializing in algebraic geometry and algebraic topology. Education and early life ...

* 2015-present

Mihalis Dafermos Mihalis Dafermos (Greek language, Greek: Μιχάλης Δαφέρμος; born October 1976) is a Greeks, Greek mathematician. He is Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and holds the Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry, Low ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Professor of Astronomy and Geometry, Lowndean, Cambridge Astronomy and Geometry, Lowndean, Cambridge Astronomy and Geometry, Lowndean Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge 1749 establishments in England Physics education in the United Kingdom Astronomy and Geometry, Lowndean, Cambridge Mathematics education in the United Kingdom Astronomy in the United Kingdom