Arthur Cayley

Date of Birth: August 16, 1821

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: January 26, 1895

Biography

Arthur Cayley was a prominent British mathematician, born on August 16, 1821, in Richmond, Surrey, England. He made significant contributions to various fields of mathematics, including algebra, geometry, and matrix theory. Cayley was the son of a merchant and spent his early years in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where his father had business interests. At the age of eight, he was sent to England for schooling. Cayley showed an early aptitude for mathematics and went on to attend Trinity College, Cambridge, where he excelled in the rigorous mathematical tripos. After graduating, Cayley initially pursued a career in law, becoming a barrister to ensure financial stability. However, his passion for mathematics never waned. During his time as a lawyer, he published numerous mathematical papers. In 1863, he accepted the Sadleirian Professorship of Pure Mathematics at Cambridge, a position that allowed him to focus entirely on his mathematical work. Cayley’s contributions to mathematics are vast and varied. He developed the Cayley-Hamilton theorem, which states that every square matrix satisfies its own characteristic equation. He was also instrumental in the development of abstract algebra and was one of the first to formalize the concept of a group in mathematics. Arthur Cayley passed away on January 26, 1895, in Cambridge, England. His legacy continues to influence modern mathematics profoundly.

5 Interesting Facts about Arthur Cayley

1. Arthur Cayley was instrumental in the development of matrix theory and was one of the first to formalize the concept of a group in mathematics.

2. He published over 900 mathematical papers in his lifetime, contributing significantly to algebra, geometry, and mathematical analysis.

3. Cayley was fluent in Russian, French, German, and Italian, in addition to his native English.

4. He initially pursued a career in law and practiced as a barrister for 14 years before fully dedicating himself to mathematics.

5. The Cayley-Hamilton theorem, a fundamental theorem in linear algebra, is named after him.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Arthur Cayley

1. “As for everything else, so for a mathematical theory: beauty can be perceived but not explained.”

2. “Projective geometry is all geometry.”

3. “Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.”

4. “And in another sense, the subject of pure mathematics has grown to an enormous extent, and is still growing and branching out in many directions.”

5. “The true logic of this world is in the calculus of probabilities.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Arthur Cayley’s net worth is not well-documented, as he lived in the 19th century. However, his academic positions and contributions to mathematics were highly respected.