Alexander MacAuley

Alexander MacAuley (1863 - 1931) was one of the founders of biquaternion theory and was the first professor of mathematics and physics at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania. Alexander was born 9 December 1863 and attended Cambridge University, taking his degree in 1886.Departing for Australia, he lectured at Ormond College, University of Melbourne from 1893 to 1895.He was an advocate of quaternion calculus for modeling physical relations. Peter Guthrie Tait praised MacAuley's "Utility of Quaternions in Physics" in these terms:

Here, at last, we exclaim, is a man who has caught the full spirit of the quaternion system: the real aestus, the awen of the Welsh Bards, the divinus afflatus that transports the poet beyond the limits of sublunary things! Intuitively recognizing its power, he snatches up the magnificent weapon which Hamilton tenders us all, and at once dashes off to the jungle on the quest of big game.

He took up the position in Tasmania from 1896 until 1929.In 1898 he published through Cambridge his Octonions: a Development of Clifford's Biquaternions. Alexander MacAuley passed away 6 July 1931.

References

• 1892 Rev N M Ferres, Review of "On the Mathematical Theory of Electromagnetism", in Proc. Royal Society, London, v.51,p.400
• 1893, Dec. 28 Nature P.G. Tait review quoted above
• 1895 Rev n M Ferres, Preview of Octonions, ibid. v.59,p.169.
• 1900 A. MacAuley "Notes on the Electromagnetic Theory of Light", Phil.Mag.(5)v.49,pp.228-242.