Percy John Heawood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Percy Heawood | |
 |
|
| Born | September 8, 1861 Newport, Shropshire, England |
|---|---|
| Died | January 24, 1955 (aged 93) Durham, Co. Durham, England |
Percy John Heawood (8 September 1861 Newport, Shropshire, England[1] - 24 January 1955 Durham, England[2]) was a British mathematician educated at Queen Elizabeth's School, Ipswich, and Exeter College, Oxford. He spent his career at Durham University where he was appointed Lecturer in 1885 and Professor in 1910. He devoted essentially his whole working life to the four colour theorem and in 1890 he exposed a flaw in Alfred Kempe's proof, that had been considered as valid for 11 years. With the four colour theorem being open again he established the five colour theorem instead. The four colour theorem itself was finally established by a computer-based proof in 1976.
He was a cousin of the physicist Sir Oliver Lodge.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Times obituary
- ^ GRO Register of Deaths: MAR 1955 1a 338 DURHAM C. - Percy J. Heawood
[edit] External links
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Theodore Morison |
Warden & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Durham 1926–1928 |
Succeeded by Sir Thomas Oliver |
