William Thomson (Lord Kelvin)

1824 - 1907

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William Thomson graduated from Glasgow and Cambridge showing precocious ability in Mathematics and Physics. He became Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow at a very young age. He made important contributions to many areas of Physics including electricity, magnetism and thermodynamics. He was created Lord Kelvin for his work on the first transatlantic cable. He became one of the first honorary members of the EMS in 1883.
Full MacTutor biography [Version for printing]
List of References (25 books/articles)

Some Quotations (9)

Mathematicians born in the same country

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Additional Material in MacTutor

  1. Topology and Scottish mathematical physics
  2. A comment from Thomas Hirst's diary
  3. Kelvin on the sun
  4. Thomson on "ether"
  5. Thomson on British units
  6. Obituary: The Times

Honours awarded to William Thomson
(Click below for those honoured in this way)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh1847
Fellow of the Royal Society1851
Royal Society Royal Medal1856
Royal Society Bakerian lecturer1856
Royal Society Copley Medal1883
Honorary Fellow of the Edinburgh Maths Society1883
President of the Royal Society1890-1895
London Maths Society President1898 - 1900
Lunar featuresCrater Thomson and Promontorium Kelvin and Rupes Kelvin

Other Web sites
  1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. NNDB
  3. University of Glasgow
  1. NAHSTE
  2. L Zapato (Some of Kelvin's papers and addresses)
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The URL of this page is:
http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Mathematicians/Thomson.html