William Braikenridge (also Brakenridge) (c.1700–1762) was a Scottish mathematician and cleric, a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemati ...

from 1752.

Life

He was son of John Braikenridge of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

. s:Page:Alumni Oxoniensis (1715–1886) volume 1.djvu/169 In the 1720s he taught mathematics in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. Braikenridge was Honorary A.M. in 1735, and D.D. in 1739, of

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has acted as the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. However, the building was constructed for and is on lon ...

, when he was vicar of New Church,

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...

. He was incorporated at

The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

, in 1741. He became rector of St Michael Bassishaw, and from 1745 librarian of

Sion College Sion College, in London, is an institution founded by Royal Charter in 1630 as a college, guild of parochial clergy and almshouse, under the 1623 will of Thomas White, vicar of St Dunstan's in the West. The clergy who benefit by the foundation ...

, in London.

Works

In geometry the

Braikenridge–Maclaurin theorem In geometry, the , named for 18th century British mathematicians William Braikenridge and Colin Maclaurin, is the converse to Pascal's theorem. It states that if the three intersection points of the three pairs of lines through opposite sides o ...

was independently discovered by

Colin Maclaurin Colin Maclaurin (; gd, Cailean MacLabhruinn; February 1698 – 14 June 1746) was a Scottish mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra. He is also known for being a child prodigy and holding the record for bei ...

. It occasioned a priority dispute after Braikenridge published it in 1733; Stella Mills writes that, while Braikenridge may have wished to establish priority, Maclaurin rather felt slighted by the implication that he did not know theorems in the ''Exercitatio'' that he had taught for a number of years.

*''Exercitatio Geometrica de Descriptione Linearum Curvarum'' (1733) *''Proposals for lectures on the principles of mechanicks and natural philosophy, by Mr. Braikenridge: Formerly teacher of the mathematicks at Edinburgh'' (1750?) *''A Letter from the Reverend William Brakenridge, D.D. and F.R.S. to George Lewis Scot, Esq; F. R. S. concerning the Number of Inhabitants within the London Bills of Mortality (1 January 1753)'', in ''

Philosophical Transactions ''Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'' is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society. In its earliest days, it was a private venture of the Royal Society's secretary. It was established in 1665, making it the first journa ...

''. This paper was topical, because parliament was considering legislation on a census and registration of vital information. Braikenridge argued, from bills of mortality, that London's population had peaked a decade earlier; a controversy arose with Richard Forster of

Great Shefford Great Shefford (or West Shefford) is an English village and civil parish on the River Lambourn in the West Berkshire district of Berkshire. The present civil parish includes the historical parish of Little or East Shefford, a small, reduced co ...

George Burrington George Burrington ( ca. 1682 – 22 February 1759) was a British colonial official who served as the third and fifth governor of North Carolina from 1724 to 1725 and 1731 to 1734. He is noted for opening the lower Cape Fear region to settlement. ...

also answered, in 1757. It was argued against Braikenridge that population was increasing, near the area he considered. *'' A letter to the right honourable the earl of Macclesfield, president of the Royal society, concerning the method of constructing a table for the probabilities of life at London'' (1755) *''A Letter to the Right Honourable Hugh Earl of Marchmont. F. R. S. concerning the Sections of a Solid, Hitherto Not Considered by Geometers; From William Brakenridge, D. D. Rector of St. Michael Bassishaw London, and F. R. S.'' (1759) *''Sermons on Several Subjects by the Late William Brakenridge'' To which

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

's father, the Rev. George Austen subscribed whilst a fellow of St. John's College.

Notes

External links

CERL page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Braikenridge, William 1700 births 1762 deaths Scottish mathematicians 18th-century Scottish Episcopalian priests Fellows of the Royal Society