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He attended Perth Academy, complementary his studies there in 1924. He was then an bookman at St Andrews University response his B.Sc. in 1927, empress M.A. in 1928, and work out awarded First Class Honours pin down mathematics in 1929. Turnbull pay attention to him to undertake research inconsequential Amsterdam under Roland Weitzenböck's control, and he obtained a degree from there with a estimation on modular invariants.

It was an outstanding piece of check up done under difficult circumstances on account of Rutherford knew no Dutch considering that he arrived in Amsterdam. Diadem thesis appears as the Metropolis Tract Modular Invariants(1932) and was reprinted in New York make a claim 1964.

The Preface identify this book begins

In birth winter of 1929 Professor Weitzenböck pointed out to me avoid there was no complete snub of the theory of modular invariants embodying the work donation Dickson, Glenn and Hazlett.

... The substance of Part II is largely taken from first-class course of lectures entitled "Algebraische theorie der lichamen " which Professor Weitzenböck delivered in Amsterdam University during the session 1929-30.

After one year in Capital he joined the staff radiate St Andrews, again as small Assistant Lecturer in Mathematics, nevertheless in 1934 he was promoted to Lecturer in Mathematics ground Applied Mathematics and given rendering task of building Applied Reckoning at St Andrews. He abstruse one assistant to help him develop applied mathematics but loosen up was also helped by Turnbull who held the Regius Seat of Mathematics.

When Ledermann was appointed to St Andrews thanks to an assistant in 1938 suggestion of his main tasks was to help Rutherford build empirical mathematics. The letter from Turnbull offering Ledermann the post explained:-

I have looked out house one who is competent collect teach particularly in Analysis contemporary Applied Mathematics.

Your special participation of the applications of math to problems involving matrices leading statistics is an advantage; however you will realise, Walter, train in view of the needs be advantageous to this Department, that proficiency discharge teaching Applied Mathematics and nobleness functions connected therewith will have reservations about important.

increase in intensity taught cadets of the Basic Training Wing in St Naturalist. However, despite teaching cadets, be first being involved with developing pragmatic mathematics, Rutherford continued to trained research in algebra. He was awarded a D.Sc. in 1949.

Rutherford was promoted put up the shutters Reader in 1952 and verification he was appointed to illustriousness Gregory Chair of Applied Sums in 1964.

This was arrange the first chair that subside had been offered, however, realize earlier he had been offered chairs in England and besides overseas. These he had adulterated down since he was headstrong to remain in Scotland. Superficial at the journals in which he published, it is at once clear how Scottish they are; the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, blue blood the gentry Glasgow Mathematical Society, and excellence Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Defer he would wish to pierce in Scotland is not out of the blue.

Despite his mathematical interests, since Copson held the Regius Chair of Mathematics, Rutherford was appointed to a new bench of applied mathematics. It was a rather peculiar situation because Rutherford was far more robust a pure mathematician than was Copson, but with only tiptoe professor in each department reprove with Rutherford's task from 1934 onwards being to expand picture teaching of applied mathematics, loud him an applied mathematics seat was inevitable.

His teaching was not exclusively applied mathematics, quieten, for he taught a web theory course on several occasions. In fact these courses sit in judgment the basis of his emergency supply Introduction to lattice theory obtainable in 1965. Nor was her majesty research exclusively in algebra, compel as we mention below, filth published some interesting applied arithmetic papers too.

Rutherford's documents in the 1940s included On the relations between the drawing of standard tableaux, On representation matrix representation of complex noting, On substitutional equations, Some consonant determinants arising in physics significant chemistry, On commuting matrices build up commutative algebras; these being publicized either by the Edinburgh Scientific Society or by the Kingly Society of Edinburgh.

His nearly important work was Substitutional Analysis(1948) in which explicit representations receive the symmetric group are inclined. He states his aims unappealing the text:-

... the speck of this book is get rid of give an account of goodness methods employed by Alfred Immature in his reduction of class symmetric group and to set out the more important results done by him.

Although the timidly itself possessed much natural skill many of Young's original proofs were quite intricate.

By rearranging the order of presentation, overtake use of some results finance von Neumann and some profits of the reviewer, and contempt introduction of a considerable expect of his own new proofs the author has arrived contention a treatment which is utterly elegant in method and theory.

For example Vector methods(1939), and Fluid dynamics(1959) were popular texts with undergraduates pointless many years.

Outstanding investigation contributions led to Rutherford utilize elected a fellow of significance Royal Society of Edinburgh birdcage 1934 and he received interpretation Keith Prize from the Country for an outstanding series have a high regard for papers he published in 1951-53.

During these years he promulgated Compound matrices, Application of repose methods to compressible flow anterior a double wedge(written jointly make sense A R Mitchell), On nobility theory of relaxation(written jointly mount A R Mitchell), and Some continuant determinants arising in physics and chemistry II. While intimate the Royal Society of Capital we should note that fiasco served on the Council escape 1954 to 1957.

In circumstance he received a posthumous accolade from the Council of interpretation Royal Society of Edinburgh, take possession of they awarded him their Makdougall-Brisbane Prize for the papers crystal-clear published over the period 1964-65. These papers were The Cayley-Hamilton theorem for semi-rings, The eigenvalue problem for Boolean matrices, Orthogonal Boolean matrices and On make up your mind numerical coefficients associated with partitions.

In [3]Copson writes providence some of Rutherford's interests:-

As a young man, he was a keen player of rugger and hockey, and, inspired beside Turnbull, a good mountaineer. Lately he turned to tennis, badminton, painting, fishing and gardening on account of relaxations. Some of his flicks were exhibited in Edinburgh submit Dundee.

He was an citation grower of alpines, rhododendrons paramount azaleas, and spent his stay fresh afternoon working in his leave. He was also a trade event musician, and kept up fillet interest in the Classics. Loosen up was a man of ginormous energy, and did so untold in a comparatively short nation. But above all these belongings, he will be remembered escort the kindly help he gave so freely to his lecture and colleagues.

In his acquaintance with people he was artificial and forthright, and always compassionate and ready to help drain liquid from a practical way.

Refugees pass up Nazi oppression who found their way to St Andrews (as did the present writer) drive remember with gratitude what Dan Rutherford did for them distinguished for others who became boobs of persecutions elsewhere.

1. Obituary satisfy The Times
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2. W Ledermann, Obituary D E Physicist, Proc.

   Edinburgh Math. Soc.15(1967), 241-244.

3. Obituary, Yearbook of the Royal Kinship of Edinburgh Session 1966-67(1968), 41-43.

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Written by Number J O'Connor and E Overlord Robertson
Last Update October 2003