Thomas Muirhead Flett (28 July 1923 – 13 February 1976) was an English mathematician at

Sheffield University , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

working on

analysis Analysis ( : analyses) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (38 ...

Biography

Thomas Muirhead Flett was born on 28 July 1923, in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, when his parents moved from

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. At age 11, he won a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

by the County of

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

from a state primary school to University College School (U.C.S.), Hampstead.

Career

Flett was first employed as a laboratory assistant in Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill. While working, he studied part-time at Acton Technical College and obtained first class Honours in the London University B.Sc. general Degree in Mathematics and Physics. After working in the Post Office Research Station for three years, Flett worked as a research physicist at

Simmonds Aerocessories Sir Oliver Edwin Simmonds, FRAeS (22 November 1897 – 26 July 1985) was a British aviation pioneer, aircraft engineer and Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Duddeston from 1931 to 1945. Early li ...

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...

for two years. In 1945, pursuing his interest in Mathematics at Chelsea Polytechnic, he obtained class Honours in the B.Sc. Special Degree in Mathematics. In 1946, he obtained a mark in optional subjects, and in 1947, he was awarded for M.Sc. in Mathematics of

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flett, Thomas Muirhead 1923 births 1976 deaths 20th-century English mathematicians