The symbol ln(x), now a standard feature on every digital calculator worldwide for representing the natural logarithm, was first introduced by the American mathematician Irving Stringham. Throughout his academic career, he advanced the field of algebra while holding faculty positions at major institutions across the United States, culminating in a long tenure at the University of California, Berkeley.
Academic Formation
Born in Yorkshire in 1847, Stringham pursued his higher education across several institutions. He studied at Washburn University from 1866 to 1869 before attending Harvard College between 1873 and 1877. He continued his doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University from 1877 to 1880, completing a dissertation titled Regular Figures in N-dimensional Space under the guidance of James Joseph Sylvester.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Career and Institutional Roles
Stringham held several academic appointments throughout his life. He served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University from 1878 to 1880 and at Harvard College from 1880 to 1882. In 1882, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley, where he remained as a professor until his death in 1909. During his time abroad in 1881, he submitted research concerning finite groups within quaternion algebra while staying in Schwartzbach, Saxony.
Mathematical Contributions
His primary written work is titled Uniplanar algebra: being part I of a propædeutic to the higher mathematical analysis. His other notable papers include The Quaternion Formulae for Quantification of Curves, Surfaces, and Solids, and for Barycenters, published in 1879, as well as his 1905 geometric construction for quaternion products. He was an active participant in global mathematical discourse, including presenting a paper on elliptic functions at the 1893 International Mathematical Congress in Chicago and serving as an invited speaker at the 1900 International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris.
Fast facts
- Born: 1847, Yorkshire
- Died: 1909, Berkeley
- Citizenship: United States
- PhD Advisor: James Joseph Sylvester
- Notable Notation: ln(x)
- Spouse: Martha Sherman Day
- Daughter: Martha Sherman Stringham
Questions readers ask
What is Irving Stringham's most lasting contribution to mathematics notation?
He is credited as the first person to use the symbol ln(x) to denote the natural logarithm.
Where did Stringham spend the final decades of his career?
He served as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1882 until his death in 1909.
Achievements
- Notable work: Uniplanar algebra: being part I of a propædeutic to the higher mathematical analysis
- Held posts at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard College and University of California, Berkeley
- Fields: mathematics
