Aklima Khondoker
Professor Glass
Logic 101
13th December 2006
Dead Mathematicians Hall of Fame Awards Acceptance Speech
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you at the Dead Mathematicians Hall of fame for this great honor bestowed upon my deceased uncle. It gives me great pride to accept this accolade in honor of the great Mr. George Boole. From his birthplace in Lincolnshire, England in 1815, George was destined for greatness. Though at first sight it may not have seemed that way. After all, his family wasn’t particularly entitled or wealthy. In fact, though his father spent many of his days thinking scientifically and mathematically, his occupation was one of a shoe maker. However Father John Boole gave his son all of his knowledge of math, and soon George grew to love it too. In his early years, George’s first love was actually language. His father sent him to learn Latin, German and French. The Boole family went through financial hardship when George was 16, so George began working as an assistant teacher. He actually began learning mathematics on his own, outside of his father’s teachings. His very first math book was Lacroix’s Differential and integral calculus. Though I’m sure he taught himself very well, he soon realized that it would be best to receive lessons outside of his father and on his own. He decided to relocate to Liverpool where he acquired a teaching position that allowed him to study mathematics in depth with other professors. The ambition of this teenage man had no end! At the age of 19 he moved to Lincoln and opened his own school, in addition the primary operator of Hall’s Academy (Robert Hall) in Waddington, asked him to take over the school in his passing. Which he also did. As years passed, He began publishing regularly in the Cambridge Mathematical Journal with his main focus on algebra. He corresponded with another Hall of Famer by the name of De Morgan. In 1842 George wrote a paper On a general method of analysis– applying algebraic methods to the solution of differential equations; which he sent to De Morgan for comments. Speaking of fame, George’s work began to receive recognition in 1844 when he received the Royal Society’s Royal medal for his work in the Transactions of the Royal Society. In 1854 he published An investigation into the Laws of Thought, on Which are founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities. Quite possibly what he is most famous for. His approach was using logic with simple algebra, integrating logic into mathematics. By showing correlations between logical forms and algebraic symbols he bridged a gap that allowed this form of mathematics to expand and increase in plasticity. Boolean Algebra is used today for various computer applications, search engines and has many other technical applications. Information from kerryr.net confirms what we already know; Today, all our computers use Boole’s logic system – using microchips that contain thousands of tiny electronic switches arranged into logical ‘gates’ that produce predictable and reliable conclusions. The basic logic gates are AND, OR and NOT. It is these gates, used in different combinations, that allow the computer to execute its operations using binary language. Each gate assesses information (consisting of high or low voltages) in accordance with predetermined rules, and produces a single high or low voltage logical conclusion. He created a system that is widely used and taught today. It is math for the ages and hasn’t slowed his recognition since. The voltage itself represents the binary yes-no, true-false, one-zero concept. Boole also worked on differential equations, the influential Treatise on Differential Equations appeared in 1859, the calculus of finite differences, Treatise on the Calculus of Finite Differences (1860), and general methods in probability. As well as both on logical and mathematical topics, found in the Catalogue of Scientific Memoirs published by the Royal Society, and in the supplementary volume on Differential Equations. Add the Cambridge and Dublin Mathematical Journal, and the third and fourth series of the Philosophical Magazine to his credits and many many more. Once again ladies and gentlemen, I am truly thankful to receive this message; my first accolade in his honor, which I am sure will not be his last.
Works Cited:
Kerry Redshaw. Pioneers: George Boole. © Copyright 1996. 13th December 2006. KerryR. www.kerryr.net/index.htm
Wikipedia contributors. George Boole, 9th December 2006. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia ©. 13th December 2006. www.wikipedia.com
Eileen Harrison. George Boole: Mathematician and Philosopher. 1993. Roger Parson’s Lincolnshire World. 13th December 2006. http://homepages.enterprise.net/rogerp/george/boole.html
Research:
Web Search Results for “Boole”All Search Engines 1 – 20 of 67 George Boole (1815 – 1864)The original Working Class Boy Made Good, Boole was born in the wrong time, in the wrong place, and definitely in the wrong class – he didn’t have a hope of …www.kerryr.net/pioneers/boole.htm [Found on Google, MSN Search, Yahoo! Search, Ask.com]
George Boole – Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaGeorge Boole’s father was a tradesman of limited means, but of studious … A long list of Boole’s memoirs and detached papers, both on logical and …en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Boole [Found on Google, MSN Search, Ask.com]
Roger p@rsons_world of George BooleBeekeeping, Comets, and Famous Lincolnshire scientists, explorers, mathematicians and philosophers.homepages.enterprise.net/rogerp/george/boole.html [Found on Google, Yahoo! Search, Ask.com]