The record for the youngest university professor in history was held by Colin MacLaurin for nearly three centuries following his appointment at Marischal College in 1717. Born in 1698 at The Manse, he spent his professional career operating within the Kingdom of Great Britain, bridging the gap between Newtonian mechanics and the rigorous analysis of the 18th century.
Academic Ascent
MacLaurin entered the University of Glasgow at age eleven, graduating as a Master of Arts by thirteen. He studied at Dumbarton Academy before transitioning to higher education. In 1717, he secured his professorship at Marischal College through a ten-day competition. During his tenure, he traveled to London and joined the Royal Society in 1719, establishing professional connections with Isaac Newton. Newton later supported MacLaurin's move to the University of Edinburgh in 1725, where he served until 1746.
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MacLaurin provided the first systematic defense of Isaac Newton's calculus in his 1742 work, Treatise of Fluxions. His analytical developments include the Euler–Maclaurin formula, which he discovered independently, and the MacLaurin series. In geometry, he defined the Maclaurin spheroid, describing the gravitational equilibrium of an oblate rotating body. His publications also encompass the Braikenridge–Maclaurin theorem, the integral test for convergence, and various studies on the trisectrix and sectrix of Maclaurin.
Public Life and Death
Beyond his research, MacLaurin served as the Rector of the University of Edinburgh. He opposed the Jacobite rising of 1745, organizing city defenses until he fled to York. On this journey, a fall from a horse triggered health complications that eventually led to dropsy. Following his return to Edinburgh, he died in 1746. He is buried at Greyfriars Kirkyard, leaving behind significant posthumous works including his Treatise of Algebra.
Fast facts
- Born: 1698, The Manse
- Died: 1746, Edinburgh
- Education: Dumbarton Academy, University of Glasgow
- Fellow of the Royal Society: 1719
- Employers: Marischal College, University of Edinburgh
- Notable work: MacLaurin series
- Burial site: Greyfriars Kirkyard
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Scotland, Kingdom of Great Britain
Questions readers ask
What is the Maclaurin series?
It is a special case of the Taylor series expanded around zero, used to characterize infinitely differentiable functions.
Why is he associated with the Maclaurin spheroid?
He demonstrated that an oblate spheroid represents a possible equilibrium state within the framework of Newton's theory of gravity.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society — 1719
- Notable work: integral test for convergence
- Notable work: MacLaurin series
- Notable work: Euler–Maclaurin formula
- Notable work: Maclaurin's inequality
- Held posts at Marischal College and University of Edinburgh
- Fields: mathematics
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