Talk:Lucasian Professor of Mathematics

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Comments[edit]

I have doubts about the use of the lower-case "p" in this case. Michael Hardy 23:18 Apr 27, 2003 (UTC)

I agree. Tannin

I have changed it, because most places where I see it was lower case: never use capital in the middle of a sentenes or it want count always use lower case articles used [[Lucasian Professor|Lucasian professor]], 1911 encyclopedia use lowercase, ... If you think it better upper case, I will rechange them all to uppercase. -- Looxix 23:41 Apr 27, 2003 (UTC)

Just to be sure (I don't myself if it should be lower or uppercase), I checked in my History of Mathematics by D. E. Smith nad he also use lowercase. So, I think lowercase should be acceptable. -- Looxix 23:54 Apr 27, 2003 (UTC)

Looks like a doubtful one, then Looxix. I would have imagined that, as a formal title, it would be capitalised, but if it's as frequently lower case as upper, then so be it. You might as well leave it as it stands. Sounds like it doesn't mater either way. Tannin

How come you guys forgot LtCmdr Data? (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Lucasian_Chair resp. http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/All_Good_Things..._(episode)) something for "Trivia" or "In popular culture" section perhaps? ;-) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.38.206.1 (talk) 11:44, 9 October 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Lucasian Professor in Fiction[edit]

As has been stated before, we should really stick to non-fictional professors, at least when it comes to the list of chairs. I have added this section to make note of fictional accounts of those who have held the professorship. I hope this makes sense for most. Ektar 00:02, 21 August 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think these section just seems out of place, there is so little actual information on Lucasian Professors that putting a section about a star trek episode just weakens the article. --142.162.44.98 18:09, 25 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think that the section should be re-added. Reference to this position in an episode of a popular, well known television series and a book derived from that episode surely merits a section in the article, particularly because one of the main characters is the one holding the position. --Cogburnd02 (talk) 15:25, 30 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The section on fiction should be added. I looked this up after seeing the recent Stephen Hawking movie particularly to see which movie Data was Lucasian Professor.Just because you're uncomfortable with that fictional appearance is no reason to hide the info on the talk page. Conscientia (talk) 14:27, 22 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Article doesn't explain what a lucasian professor is.[edit]

Article doesn't explain what a lucasian professor is. —Preceding unsigned vfhkb bmhhnkhmhf:35.11.38.122|talk]]) 18:38, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

I agree with this thought and think the article should be expanded. I also find that some explanation should be given about the "retiring when 67" policy but one of the holders was well into his 80's.StarHOG (talk) 22:16, 12 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Significance[edit]

What is the significance of this page? I go to a much better university (St. Andrews), and we don't care about individual teaching positions. Shouldn't this page redirect to "maths teacher"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.251.229.240 (talk) 01:01, 21 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Given that the Lucasian Chair is one of the most famous and prestigious professorships in the world, no, it shouldn't. jSarek (talk) 09:07, 22 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]
- "one of the most famous [...] in the world" I never heard of it, prior to that Star Trek episode, and neither has MANY of the people I know, studied, intelligent people. No, it is not really that famous. Locally or in it's circle of influence it may be famous, but not worldly famous. Also, I'm all in favour for that 'Fiction' section or making this just a redirect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.123.163.80 (talk) 02:28, 30 December 2010 (UTC)[reply]

19th Lucasian Professor but no official channels[edit]

I have seen that it has been updated this article with the appointment of the 19th Lucasian Professor. But there has been no official declaration by Cambridge University or other reliable source. All we have is a rumor that a mail was circulating at DAMPT. I think that this is not acceptable for Wikipedia and these updates should be removed while waiting for official channels to speak. News could be true but we need more.--Pra1998 (talk) 15:09, 12 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I have removed updates about the new Lucasian Professor as there has been no official annunciation whatsoever.--Pra1998 (talk) 13:05, 13 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

yes there has

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2014-15/weekly/6380/section2.shtml

Elections Professor Michael Cates, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., T, FRS, Professor of Natural Philosophy and Royal Society Research Professor, University of Edinburgh, has been elected into the Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics with effect from 1 July 2015. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.111.200.181 (talk) 08:15, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Is it still funded from the original bequest?[edit]

I believe 7000 pounds in those days was (based on, for example, the Levenson Newton bio) was around one million pounds in today's money. So it is possible that that sum continues to provide -- quite remarkable if true and I would guess this is the oldest such bequest.--Jrm2007 (talk) 05:39, 21 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I think they must have found some additional funds since then. Graham Farmelo's biography of Paul Dirac mentions that when Dirac got the professorship in 1932, its salary plus dividend(?) was equivalent to around 250,000 GBP when the biography was written in 2009. They couldn't generate that from a million pound principal (and I had no idea that even very famous professors got paid that much). Dirac went into the position while he was a postdoc living on a shoestring, if that matters, though he had already declined some nice offers from other universities in anticipation of the Lucasian chair becoming vacant as its previous occupant (Joseph Larmor) was due to retire. 2601:648:8202:96B0:E0CB:579B:1F5:84ED (talk) 20:18, 12 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

If there are sources for this information it should get added to the article. 2A02:8070:6382:ECE0:4547:7907:558A:ADF2 (talk) 19:07, 8 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I came to the comments to see if someone talked about exactly this. @Jrm2007 it does state that land was supposed to be purchased with the initial grant to sustain the professorship. I wonder if said land is still a thing or if, as the earlier commenter mused about, the grant isn't a thing today or if it has been invested throughout the years. In comparison the willed money that founded the Nobel Foundation has grown considerably since it's foundation. 2A02:1406:A:FFDF:201A:82E0:449D:9054 (talk) 17:27, 9 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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mandatory retirement[edit]

It looks like George Gabriel Stokes held this post until his death in 1903, at age 83. Stokes' successor Joseph Larmor relinquished it at age 67, in 1932. I don't know if the age 67 retirement was mandatory at that time, but I suspect it was, since Larmor disapproved of his own successor, Paul Dirac. Dirac's retirement at 67 was definitely mandatory (he moved to Florida State University afterwards) and there is some further info about this in Graham Farmelo's biography of Dirac. It would be good if this topic could be documented in the article 2601:648:8202:96B0:E0CB:579B:1F5:84ED (talk) 19:56, 12 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Why don't you add this? 2A02:8070:6382:ECE0:4547:7907:558A:ADF2 (talk) 19:08, 8 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

History[edit]

There are several requests and comments about the section on history. I will add one more

Maybe the third paragraph, on the last 3 holders, might be relevant, but second paragraph on the appointment nearly 200 years ago is completely out of place. I am sure there are similar little stories about every appointment. Whys is this one appointment noteworthy?

I was going to delete the paragraph, but the hard core editors will probably immediately un-do the deletion. 90.191.226.46 (talk) 22:14, 5 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Data from Star Trek[edit]

I've removed Data's name from the opening paragraph. Including a section for fictional professors is alright (though still pretty trivial in this case tbh) but we can't possibly justify including Data on a list that's talking about real professors. twl_corinthian (talk) 22:33, 14 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]