Olympic Games Rio 2016

Olympic Games Rio 2016

( 5 August, 2016 - 21 August, 2016)

Scientist of the day - William Rowan Hamilton

 (04 August 1805  -  02 September 1865)

One of the most significant Irish scientists, William Rowan Hamilton made noteworthy contributions in the field of classical mechanics, algebra and optics. What is interesting to note is that Hamilton, from the tender age of five, showed signs of making it big in the world. His immense talent was appropriately nutured right from the very beginning, which further enhanced his capabilities. While Hamilton is known to have contributed in various fields, it is his work in the reformulation of Newtonian mechanics, now called Hamiltonian mechanics, that tops the list. This work proves to be the foundation of the modern study of classical field theories such as electromagnetism, and to the development of quantum mechanics. To know more about this inventor of quaternions, read through these following lines 

Early Life

Fourth of the nine children of Sarah Hutton and Archibald Hamilton, young William Hamilton was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father, a solicitor by profession, was mostly touring England practising legal business. As such, he had little or no time to teach young Hamilton. It was due to this reason that William Hamilton, at the age of three, was sent to live with his uncle James Hamilton. A graduate from the Trinity College, his uncle ran a school in Talbots Castle. Young Hamilton displayed signs of being a fast learner right from the very childhood. By the age of five, he had learned three languages including, Latin, Greek and Hebrew and before 12, he broadened his knowledge in various other languages, such as Arabic, Sanskrit, Persian, Syriac, French, and Italian. While until then, languages seemed to be the only love of Hamilton, it was a meeting with Zerah Colburn that altered the passion. Colburn, who was a master at mental arithmetic, competed with Hamilton and emerged as the winner. Not used to being beaten in any contest of intellect, this defeat sparked in Hamilton an interest in mathematics and rest as they is history. 

Introduction To Mathematics

Hamilton’s formal introduction to mathematics came the following year, in 1818, when he studied Clairaut’s Algebra. His mastery over French made it somewhat easier for him to understand the concept. By the age of fifteen, he started studying the works of Newton and Laplace. During this time, Hamilton was also involved in preparations for entrance at the Trinity College, Dublin. At the age of 18, Hamilton found himself a seat at the Trinity College and in his very first year, acquired ‘optime’ in Classics, a distinction awarded only once in twenty years. Hamilton submitted his first paper to the Royal Irish Academy in the year 1824, entitled, On Caustics. His progress somewhat declined the following year, with him earning grade ‘bene’ instead of the usual ‘value bene’. However, Hamilton soon bucked up and in 1826, again amazed everyone by bagging an 'optime' in both science and Classics, a feat unheard of. In the final year as an undergraduate, Hamilton presented a memoir, Theory of Systems of Rays, to the Royal Irish Academy. It was in this paper that Hamilton introduced the characteristic function for optics.

His Trysts

During this time, the post of Andrews Professorship of Astronomy was vacant in the University of Dublin. Under the persuasion of Boyton, Hamilton’s finals examiner, the latter applied for the position, in spite of knowing that already six applicants had applied for the vacancy. In 1827, a little prior to his graduation, Hamilton was offered the position of Professor of Astronomy. This appointment not only meant Hamilton having the honorary title, Royal Astronomer of Ireland, but also allowing him the benefit of staying at the Dunsink Observatory. However, this selection invited a great deal of criticism and controversy, since Hamilton did not have much experience in the field.

Hamilton’s predecessor, Dr. Brinkley, pointed out the fact that Hamilton’s decision was incorrect and that he should have waited for a fellowship. Hamilton’s newest acquisition of the chair of professorship, however, did not upgrade his level of intellect much. This was due to the fact that although Hamilton had insightful knowledge of theoretical astronomy, he had little or no knowledge of the regular work of the practical astronomers. Also, Hamilton had a belief that he could do wonders in the field of research than being engaged in observation. The authorities of the university, however, thought otherwise. If Hamilton dedicated himself thoroughly to practical astronomy, they assured to provide him with the best and the most advanced of instruments and adequate staff members.

His Contributions in Optics & Mechanics

The same year, i.e. in 1827, Hamilton presented a theory of a single function, now known as Hamilton's principal function. The theory brought together mechanics, optics and mathematics, thus helping establish the wave theory of light. The Royal Irish Academy paper was entitled Theory of Systems of Rays, with the first part being printed in 1828 in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy. The second and the third part were printed in three voluminous supplements, which were published in Transactions as well as in the two papers On a General Method in Dynamics, which appeared in the Philosophical Transactions in 1834 and 1835. it was in these editions that Hamilton’s formulation of the concept of “Varying Action” was mentioned. According to this theory, a single ray of light entering a biaxial crystal at a certain angle emerged as a hollow cone of rays. This breakthrough is still known by its original name, "conical refraction".

One thing that was common in all Hamilton’s research was that they were, somehow or the other, based on the principle of “Varying Action”. While the principle is based on the calculus of variation, it, however, revealed a detailed mathematical structure than that had been previously understood. Though Hamilton’s take on classical mechanics is based on the same physical principles of Newton and Lagrange, it provides a powerful new technique for working with the equations of motion. Both Lagrangian and Hamiltonian approaches were initially developed to describe the motion of discrete systems and have proven to be critical in the study of continuous classical systems in physics, and even quantum mechanical systems. As such, the techniques are still in use in electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, quantum relativity theory, and quantum field theory.

His Contributions in Quaternions

Hamilton’s another greatest contribution in the field of mathematical science was his discovery of quaternions in 1843. In this, Hamilton was looking for ways to extend complex numbers to higher spatial dimensions. While he failed to successfully find a three-dimensional system, he effectively created the four-dimensional system, wherein which he created quaternions. Interestingly, Hamilton’s formulation of the equation came when he was walking with his wife along the Royal canal. Fearing that he might forget the equation by the time he got back home, he carved the same into the side of the nearby Broom Bridge, using his penknife. This marked the discovery of the quaternion group.

Hamilton described a quaternion as an ordered four-element multiple of real numbers, and described the first element as the 'scalar' part, and the remaining three as the 'vector' part. As a method of analysis, Hamilton introduced both quaternions and biquaternions, as the extension to eight dimensions by establishment of complex number coefficients. Hamilton had declared that the quaternions would play a pivotal role as an instrument of research. During his end days, Hamilton was working on a definitive statement of quaternion science. Posthumously, his son published Elements of Quaternions, a hefty volume of 762 pages, in 1866. Today, the quaternions are used in computer graphics, control theory, signal processing, and orbital mechanics, mainly for representing rotations/orientations.

Personal Life

The journey to Summerhill in 1824 along with uncle James was an important one in the personal life of Hamilton, for it was there that Hamilton first met Catherine, daughter of the Disney family, which the two were visiting. Hamilton was instantly struck with the cupid’s arrow and fell head over heels in love with the lady. However, since he was too young to propose marriage, he returned without saying anything. Year 1825’s month of February wasn’t a very favorable one for Hamilton as it was then that Catherine’s mother broke the news of Catherine’s marriage to a clergyman. Hamilton was deeply hurt. The turmoil in his personal life affected his career as well. What’s more, Hamilton even had suicidal thoughts occurring to him. It was during this period that Hamilton turned to poetry as a means of letting out his anguish. Hamilton was so much in love with Catherine that for him, it did not later matter whom he married. As a result, he tied the nuptial knot with Helen Maria Bayly who lived just across the fields from the observatory. The couple had a son named, William Edward Hamilton.

Death & Legacy

A severe attack of gouttook the life of Sir William Rowan Hamilton on September 2, 1865. This attack was the result of his excessive drinking and overeating. Hamilton was interred at the Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin. Recognized one amongst Ireland’s leading scientists, Hamilton is being increasingly celebrated year after year for his groundbreaking discoveries. For the same, he has been honored in a number of ways. An applied mathematics research institute, in the name Hamilton Institute, was formulated at NUI Maynooth in the year 2001. Ireland’s Royal Irish Academy also holds an annual public lecture by the name Hamilton lecture at which celebrated scientists from around the world take part in. The RCSI Hamilton Society was founded in the year 2004. 

Year 2005 marked the 200^th anniversary of Sir William Rowan Hamilton. As such, it was celebrated with great pomp and show. While the Irish government designated the year as Hamilton Year, celebrating Irish science, Trinity College Dublin commemorated the contribution made by this prolific scientist by launching the Hamilton Mathematics Institute TCD. In the same year, the Central Bank of Ireland issued a commemorative coin. Numerous concepts and objects in mechanics have been given the name of Hamilton. The term Hamiltonian stands for both, a function and an operator in physics. The algebra of quaternions is mostly denoted by the letter H, to honor the contributions made by Hamilton.