Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "威廉·华莱士 (数学家)" in Chinese language version.
Leslie had been the professor of mathematics at Edinburgh since 1805, but he resigned the chair when appointed to the more prestigious post of professor of natural philosophy. Candidates for the vacant chair included Wallace, Haldane (who was professor at St Andrews) and Charles Babbage. The Edinburgh chair was considered to be the leading mathematics chair for a Scot to hold, and certainly the Englishman Babbage was not seriously considered although he was supported by Ivory. Wallace was supported by Leslie, the previous occupant of the chair, while Haldane had been successful in obtaining the St Andrews chair on political grounds in preference to considerably more talented mathematicians (including Wallace and Ivory) and hoped to repeat the same success again.
William Wallace (1768-1843) was assistant teacher of mathematics at Perth Academy, Perth, in 1794-1803
James Ivory (1765-1842: professor 1804-1816) and William Wallace (1768-1843) were Professors at the Royal Military Academy, which subsequently became Sandhurst
Wallace had an impressive collection of testimonials including ones written by Playfair, Dugald Stewart, Maskelyne, Charles Hutton, William Herschel and Maseres. Leslie also wrote a letter of support. In a straight vote between Wallace and Haldane, Wallace was appointed by 18 votes to 10. He soon made an impact on the teaching at Edinburgh, deciding to change from using Leslie's book to teach instead from Playfair's edition of Euclid's Elements. This really annoyed Leslie who now regretted that he had supported Wallace over Haldane and even regretted resigning the mathematics chair himself.
Wallace produced the article Fluxions for Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopedia in 1815, which, despite its title, was the first complete account of the calculus in differential notation in English -186 pages of small print.
Leslie had been the professor of mathematics at Edinburgh since 1805, but he resigned the chair when appointed to the more prestigious post of professor of natural philosophy. Candidates for the vacant chair included Wallace, Haldane (who was professor at St Andrews) and Charles Babbage. The Edinburgh chair was considered to be the leading mathematics chair for a Scot to hold, and certainly the Englishman Babbage was not seriously considered although he was supported by Ivory. Wallace was supported by Leslie, the previous occupant of the chair, while Haldane had been successful in obtaining the St Andrews chair on political grounds in preference to considerably more talented mathematicians (including Wallace and Ivory) and hoped to repeat the same success again.
William Wallace (1768-1843) was assistant teacher of mathematics at Perth Academy, Perth, in 1794-1803
James Ivory (1765-1842: professor 1804-1816) and William Wallace (1768-1843) were Professors at the Royal Military Academy, which subsequently became Sandhurst
Wallace had an impressive collection of testimonials including ones written by Playfair, Dugald Stewart, Maskelyne, Charles Hutton, William Herschel and Maseres. Leslie also wrote a letter of support. In a straight vote between Wallace and Haldane, Wallace was appointed by 18 votes to 10. He soon made an impact on the teaching at Edinburgh, deciding to change from using Leslie's book to teach instead from Playfair's edition of Euclid's Elements. This really annoyed Leslie who now regretted that he had supported Wallace over Haldane and even regretted resigning the mathematics chair himself.
Wallace produced the article Fluxions for Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopedia in 1815, which, despite its title, was the first complete account of the calculus in differential notation in English -186 pages of small print.
