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Scottish physicist and mathematician (1847-1925) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrew Gray FRS FRSE (2 July 1847 – 10 October 1925) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician.
Andrew Gray | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | 2 July 1847 Lochgelly, Fife, Scotland |
| Died | 10 October 1925 (aged 78) |
| Alma mater | Glasgow University (MA 1876, DSc, LLD(Hon) 1896) |
| Known for | "Absolute Measurements in Electricity and Magnetism" (1883) "Treatise on Bessel Functions" (1895) "The Scientific Work of Lord Kelvin" |
| Spouse | Annie Gordon |
| Children | James Gordon Gray |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics Mathematics |
| Institutions | Private Secretary to Sir William Thomson, Glasgow (1875–80) Secretary to Sir William Thomson, Glasgow University (1880–4) Professor of Physics, University College, Bangor, Wales (1884–99) Professor of Natural Philosophy, Glasgow University (1899–1924) |
Born in Lochgelly, Fife, the son of John Gray, he was educated at Lochgelly School and then studied at the University of Glasgow (MA 1876), where he was appointed the Eglinton Fellow in Mathematics in 1876. Perhaps more significantly, however, in 1875 he became the assistant and private secretary of Professor William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin). He held this post – an official University one after 1880 – until 1884, when he was appointed Professor of Physics at the newly founded University College of North Wales.[1]
In 1883 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Lord Kelvin, James Thomson Bottomley, and John Gray McKendrick. He served as vice-president to the society 1906 to 1909.[2]
In June 1896 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society[3]
He remained in Bangor until 1899, when he returned to Glasgow to become the Professor of Natural Philosophy, succeeding Kelvin on his retirement. He held this chair for twenty-four years, stepping down in 1923, shortly before his death.
He lived on campus, his address being 11 University, Glasgow.[4]
His major scientific publications included works on electromagnetism,[5] dynamics[6] and Bessel functions.[7] He also wrote a treatise on gyrostats.[8]
His FRS candidacy form itemised the following:
Later works included:[9]
He was married to Annie Gordon. Their four sons and four daughters included James Gordon Gray FRSE.[2]
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