Interesting facts about Geirge Boole

George Boole is born

Nov 2, 1815

George Boole is born on 2 November 1815 in Lincoln, England; he is the first child of John Boole, a shoemaker, and his wife Mary Ann, who was a lady’s maid. John Boole’s boot and shoe shop in Silver Street provides an income, but the family’s economic and social position is humble.

The Boole family grows

1818

George's sister Mary Ann is born in 1818; his brothers William in 1819 and Charles in 1821.

First learnings

1820

John Boole is passionately interested in science; he becomes George’s first teacher in mathematics and encourages his son’s academic progress. Father and son together apply mathematics to building cameras, microscopes and telescopes. George Boole goes to a commercial school for the sons of business people, the best schooling his family can afford. George's appetite for learning outpaces his teachers, and his father arranges extra tuition in Latin.

Young prodigy

1829

Having mastered Latin, George teaches himself classical Greek. Aged 14, he translates a Greek poem Ode to the Spring which is published locally. George presses on to teach himself French, German, and later Italian.

Mastering mathematics

1830

In 1831, Boole begins an ambitious programme of self-education in mathematics. He reads in French advanced mathematical texts by Lacroix, Lagrange, and Laplace. He studies and masters Sir Isaac Newton's great work Principia Mathematica.

Supporting his family

1831

His father's struggling shoemaker's business collapses. Aged 16, George must provide for his family. Abandoning thoughts of a church career, he becomes an assistant teacher.

Mechanics' Institute

1834

Boole becomes active in this Lincoln forerunner of an adult education institute. He is selected to be superintendent of classes and, for many years, provides free teaching in mathematics, science and the classics.

First public lecture

1835

George delivers an address on the Genius and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton. The large audience is drawn from the Mechanics' Institute and leading citizens. Later this year, his lecture is printed and sold in Lincoln, and copies reach London.

1838 Distinguished mentor

1838

Boole's studies are encouraged by the mathematician Sir Edward ffrench Bromhead FRS, first President of the Mechanics' Institute from 1833. Bromhead has a fine library at Thurlby Hall near Lincoln; he encourages Boole to borrow advanced mathematical texts and he comments on Boole's researches.

First publications

1841

Boole publishes his first paper Researches on the Theory of Analytical Transformations in the Cambridge Mathematical Journal. Later this year, his paper Exposition of a General Theory of Linear Transformations initiates a new branch of mathematics, now called Invariant Theory. Boole contributes a total of 24 papers to the Cambridge Journal.

Royal Medal for Mathematics

1844

Boole's major paper On a General Method of Analysis is published in the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions. In his paper, Boole introduces his new 'algebra of classes'. Boole is awarded the Royal Society's Royal Medal for Mathematics for this paper.

Public Presentation

1845

Boole delivers his paper On the Equation of Laplace's Functions to the Annual Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Cambridge.

First book

1847

Boole's first book A Mathematical Analysis of Logic breaks new ground. He demonstrates that a mathematical approach can be applied to logic. He introduces 'symbolic logic' where mathematical symbols are used to represent classes or sets of objects, and the symbols are manipulated through mathematics.

Appointed Professor in Cork

1849

With testimonials from leading mathematicians, Boole applies for a Professorshop.
With testimonials from leading mathematicians, Boole applies for a Professorshop at one of the three new Queen's Colleges in Ireland in 1846. After a long delay, due partly to the Great Famine, he is appointed the first Professor of Mathematics at Queen's College Cork.

Dean of Science

1851

Boole is elected Dean of the Science Division of the Faculty of Arts for 1851-2. A conscientious committee man, he is re-elected for a second term.

Masterworks

1854

Boole publishes An Investigation of the Laws of Thought.This magnum opus extends his exploration of symbolic logic to probability theory, and originates a new concept, Mathematical Probability. The Laws of Thought builds upon and expands Boole's 1847 Analysis of Logic. In 1859, while continuing to explore probability, logic and operator theory, Boole is drawn back to his first love, differential calculus.

Marriage and Family with Mary Everest

1855

Mary is the niece of John Ryall, Vice-President and Professor of Greek at Queen's College Cork, and gave his name to the world's highest mountain. George and Mary first meet in 1850, when Mary is aged 18; from 1852 George gives her informal lessons in mathematics, and they write to one another. At the time of their marriage, George is aged 40 and Mary 23; despite the age difference, they are closely united and their marriage is happy.

Fellow of the Royal Society

1857

Boole is elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in London, confirming his reputation as one of the leading mathematicians of his time. Among the distinguished names supporting his admission are Kelland, Kelvin, Tyndall, Graves, Cayley, and the geologist Joseph Jukes who proposes him.

Death of George Boole

1864

George Boole dies tragically early, aged 49, on 8 December 1864. He falls victim to pneumonia, having been soaked in a rainstorm while walking to college and teaching in damp clothes. He is buried in the churchyard of St. Michael's Church of Ireland church at Blackrock, County Cork. George Boole's sudden death and the loss of his salary put Mary Boole under great financial stress; she decides to return to England.