BOOLE, GEORG. - A PRIZE WINNING PAPER.

On a General Method in Analysis. Received January 12th,- Read January 18th.

(London, Richard and John E. Taylor, 1844). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1844 - Part II. Pp. 225-282. Clean and fine.

First appearance of Boole's main paper on the Calculus.
George Boole is mostly known for his "An Investigation on the Laws of Thought" 1854 and his developments of a form of symbolic logic, called Boolean Algebra. But he also did importent work on the Calculus, Differential Equations and the Theory of probabilities.

In 1843 the schoolmaster Boole finished a lengthy paper on differential equations, combining an exponential substitution and variation of parameters with the separation of symbols method. The paper was too long for the Cambridge Mathematical Journal. Gregory, and later De Morgan, encouraged him to submit it to the Royal Society. The first referee rejected Boole's paper, but the second recommended it for the Gold Medal for the best mathematical paper written in the years 1841 - 1844, and this recommendation was accepted. In 1844 the Royal Society published Boole's paper (the paper offered), and awarded him the Gold Medal, the first Gold Medal awarded by the Society to a mathematician.

Order-nr.: 42840