Alexander Macfarlane (Blairgowrie, Scotland, April 21, 1851 – Chatham, Ontario, August 28, 1913) was a Scottish-Canadian logician, physicist, and mathematician. See Blairgowrie for other places of this name. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: Stub | Cities in Ontario | Ontario counties and regions ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Logic, from Classical Greek λόγος (logos), originally meaning the word, or what is spoken, (but coming to mean thought or reason) is most often said to be the study of criteria for the evaluation of arguments, although the exact definition of logic is a matter of controversy among philosophers. ... A physicist is a scientist trained in physics. ... Leonhard Euler is considered by many people to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is mathematics. ...

During his life, Macfarlane played a prominent role in research and education. He was, at various times in his life, physics professor at the University of Texas, professor of Advanced Electricity, and later of mathematical physics, at Lehigh University, and co-founder and president of the International Association for Promoting the Study of Quaternions until his death. The meaning of the word professor (Latin: one who claims publicly to be an expert) varies. ... The University of Texas at Austin, often called UT or Texas, is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. ... Mathematical physics is the scientific discipline concerned with the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and for the formulation of physical theories1. ... Lehigh University is a university based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (within 75 miles (120 km) of Philadelphia and New York City), in the United States. ...

He was also the author of a popular 1916 collection of mathematical biographies (Ten British Mathematicians), and compiled a bibliography on quaternions in 1904. Significantly, he invented of hyperbolic quaternions, precursor to Minkowski space. He actively participated in several International Congresses of Mathematicians including the Paris meeting of 1900 where he brought up coquaternions. 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Bibliographies at the University Library of Graz Bibliography (from Greek βιβλιογραφία, lit. ... In mathematics, the quaternions are a non-commutative extension of the complex numbers. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In physics and mathematics, Minkowski space (or Minkowski spacetime) is the mathematical setting in which Einsteins theory of special relativity is most conveniently formulated. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... In abstract algebra, a coquaternion is an idea put forward by James Cockle in 1849. ...

He retired to Chatham, Ontario.

References

• Cargill Gilston Knott, Alexander MacFarlane (obituary), Nature, 25 September 1913.
• Alexander Macfarlane, Lectures on Ten British Mathematicians of the Nineteenth Century (editor's preface).

Cargill Gilston Knott (June 30, 1856—October 26, 1922) was born on June 30, 1856 at Penicuik, Scotland. ... First title page, November 4, 1869 Nature is one of the oldest and most reputable scientific journals, first published on 4 November 1869. ...

External links

• Biography of Alexander MacFarlane
• Works by Alexander MacFarlane at Project Gutenberg