William Spottiswoode FRS (11 January 1825, London - 27 June 1883, London) was an English mathematician and physicist.
His father, Andrew Spottiswoode, who was descended from an ancient Scottish family, represented Colchester in parliament for some years, and in 1831 became junior partner in the firm of Eyre & Spottiswoode, printers.
William was educated at Laleham, Eton College, Harrow School and Balliol College, Oxford. His bent for science show...
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William Spottiswoode FRS (11 January 1825, London - 27 June 1883, London) was an English mathematician and physicist.
His father, Andrew Spottiswoode, who was descended from an ancient Scottish family, represented Colchester in parliament for some years, and in 1831 became junior partner in the firm of Eyre & Spottiswoode, printers.
William was educated at Laleham, Eton College, Harrow School and Balliol College, Oxford. His bent for science showed itself while he was still a schoolboy, and indeed his removal from Eton to Harrow is said to have been occasioned by an accidental explosion which occurred whilst he was performing an experiment for his own amusement. At Harrow he obtained in 1842 a Lyon scholarship, and at Oxford in 1845 a first-class in mathematics, in 1846 the junior and in 1847 the senior university mathematical scholarship.
In 1846 he left Oxford to take his father's place in the business, in which he was engaged until his death. In 1847 he issued five pamphlets...
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