"] In power of mind, in pursuits, and interests,
Airy had more in common with Whewell than with any other of his
friends. It was with Whewell that he undertook the experiments at
Dolcoath: it was to Whewell that he first communicated the result of
his remarkable investigation of the Long Inequality of Venus and the
Earth; and some of his Optical researches were conducted jointly with
Whewell. Whewell took his degree in 1816, seven years before Airy, and
his reputation, both for mathematical and all-round knowledge, was
extremely and deservedly great, but he was always most generous in his
recognition of Airy's powers. Thus in a letter of Mar. 16th, 1823
(Life of William Whewell by Mrs Stair Douglas), he says, "Airy is
certainly a most extraordinary man, and deserves everything that can
be said of him"; and again in the autumn of 1826 he writes to his
aunt, "You mentioned a difficulty which had occurred to you in one of
your late letters; how Airy should be made Professor while I was here,
who, being your nephew, must of course, on that account, deserve it
better than he could. Now it is a thing which you will think odd, but
it is nevertheless true, that Airy is a better mathematician than your
nephew, and has moreover been much more employed of late in such
studies.
Pages:
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198