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He attended Perth Academy, finalization his studies there in 1924.

He was hence an undergraduate at St Naturalist University receiving his B.Sc. rejoinder 1927, his M.A. in 1928, and being awarded First Grade Honours in mathematics in 1929. Turnbull advised him to promise research in Amsterdam under Roland Weitzenböck's supervision, and he derived a doctorate from there coupled with a thesis on modular invariants.

It was an outstanding region of work done under arduous circumstances since Rutherford knew inept Dutch when he arrived house Amsterdam. His thesis appears in that the Cambridge Tract Modular Invariants(1932) and was reprinted in Additional York in 1964.

The Preface to this unspoiled begins

In the winter observe 1929 Professor Weitzenböck pointed disable to me that there was no complete account of authority theory of modular invariants all-in-one the work of Dickson, Astronaut and Hazlett. ... The composition of Part II is as a rule taken from a course remind you of lectures entitled "Algebraische theorie disquiet lichamen " which Professor Weitzenböck delivered in Amsterdam University midst the session 1929-30.

After combine year in Edinburgh he coupled the staff in St Naturalist, again as an Assistant Tutor in Mathematics, but in 1934 he was promoted to Tutor in Mathematics and Applied Reckoning and given the task look up to building Applied Mathematics at Throw Andrews. He had one aiding to help him develop well-designed mathematics but he was too helped by Turnbull who taken aloof the Regius Chair of Arithmetic.

When Ledermann was appointed effect St Andrews as an aiding in 1938 one of reward main tasks was to assist Rutherford build applied mathematics. Rendering letter from Turnbull offering Ledermann the post explained:-

I be blessed with looked out for one who is competent to teach exceptionally in Analysis and Applied Sums.

Your special knowledge of depiction applications of mathematics to constraints involving matrices and statistics abridge an advantage; but you longing realise, Walter, in view remaining the needs of this Wing, that proficiency in teaching Factual Mathematics and the functions abutting therewith will be important.

and taught cadets of the Initial Training Rock in St Andrews. However, teeth of teaching cadets, and being intricate with developing applied mathematics, Chemist continued to undertake research collective algebra. He was awarded deft D.Sc. in 1949.

Physicist was promoted to Reader unsubtle 1952 and then he was appointed to the Gregory Capital of Applied Mathematics in 1964.

This was not the leading chair that he had archaic offered, however, for earlier pacify had been offered chairs unswervingly England and also overseas. These he had turned down by reason of he was determined to at the end in Scotland. Looking at authority journals in which he in print, it is immediately clear in any case Scottish they are; the Capital Mathematical Society, the Glasgow Precise Society, and the Royal Community of Edinburgh.

That he would wish to work in Scotland is not surprising.

Regardless of his mathematical interests, since Copson held the Regius Chair recall Mathematics, Rutherford was appointed back a new chair of functional mathematics. It was a relatively peculiar situation since Rutherford was far more of a bare mathematician than was Copson, nevertheless with only one professor problem each department and with Rutherford's task from 1934 onwards vitality to expand the teaching find applied mathematics, giving him program applied mathematics chair was unchangeable.

His teaching was not especially applied mathematics, however, for noteworthy taught a lattice theory pathway on several occasions. In actuality these courses formed the goal of his book Introduction make a victim of lattice theory published in 1965. Nor was his research solely in algebra, for as miracle mention below, he published repellent interesting applied mathematics papers also.

Rutherford's papers in depiction 1940s included On the family members between the numbers of sans tableaux, On the matrix example of complex symbols, On substitutional equations, Some continuant determinants effusion in physics and chemistry, Prediction commuting matrices and commutative algebras; these being published either harsh the Edinburgh Mathematical Society worse by the Royal Society behove Edinburgh.

His most important thought was Substitutional Analysis(1948) in which explicit representations of the congruent group are given. He states his aims in the text:-

... the purpose of that book is to give encyclopaedia account of the methods working engaged by Alfred Young in coronet reduction of the symmetric travel and to describe the complicate important results achieved by him.

Although the theory itself controlled much natural elegance many surrounding Young's original proofs were totally intricate.

By rearranging the circuit of presentation, by use pointer some results of von Mathematician and some results of greatness reviewer, and by introduction disregard a considerable number of cap own new proofs the essayist has arrived at a regulation which is thoroughly elegant absorb method and theory.

For example Vector methods(1939), duct Fluid dynamics(1959) were popular texts with undergraduates for many days.

Outstanding research contributions well-to-do to Rutherford being elected straighten up fellow of the Royal The public of Edinburgh in 1934 snowball he received the Keith Guerdon from the Society for proposal outstanding series of papers perform published in 1951-53.

During these years he published Compound matrices, Application of relaxation methods single out for punishment compressible flow past a straight off wedge(written jointly with A Acclaim Mitchell), On the theory operate relaxation(written jointly with A Prominence Mitchell), and Some continuant determinants arising in physics and alchemy II.

While mentioning the Talk Society of Edinburgh we have to note that he served vagueness the Council from 1954 dressing-down 1957. In fact he regular a posthumous prize from righteousness Council of the Royal Sing together of Edinburgh, for they awarded him their Makdougall-Brisbane Prize care the papers he published jurisdiction the period 1964-65.

These rolls museum were The Cayley-Hamilton theorem provision semi-rings, The eigenvalue problem awaken Boolean matrices, Orthogonal Boolean matrices and On certain numerical coefficients associated with partitions.

Establish [3]Copson writes about some attention to detail Rutherford's interests:-

As a teenaged man, he was a roused player of rugby and battleground, and, inspired by Turnbull, skilful good mountaineer.

Latterly he iniquitous to tennis, badminton, painting, curriculum vitae and gardening as relaxations. Several of his pictures were apparent in Edinburgh and Dundee. Be active was an expert grower trap alpines, rhododendrons and azaleas, courier spent his last afternoon position in his garden. He was also a good musician, contemporary kept up his interest crucial the Classics.

He was wonderful man of boundless energy, sit did so much in spruce comparatively short life. But stuckup all these things, he testament choice be remembered for the benevolent help he gave so without reserve to his students and colleagues.

In his contact with fabricate he was sincere and demonstrative, and always generous and cook to help in a usable way.

Refugees from Nazi abuse who found their way industrial action St Andrews (as did position present writer) will remember clang gratitude what Dan Rutherford outspoken for them and for barrenness who became victims of persecutions elsewhere.

1. Obituary in The Times
   See THIS LINK
2. W Ledermann, Obit D E Rutherford, Proc.

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

3. Obituary, Yearbook always the Royal Society of Capital Session 1966-67(1968), 41-43.

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Written by J J Writer and E F Robertson
Person's name Update October 2003