What have the Irish ever done for maths?

What comes to mind when one thinks of Ireland and contributions to mathematics down through the ages?

Quaternions obviously, and Stokes' theorem in multivariable calculus, the Hamilton-Cayley theorem, and many things Boolean. And computus and pioneering astronomical work done at Dunsink, Armagh and Birr.

Less well known is that the octonions are also an Irish discovery, dating from the same year as quaternions. Angular momentum, the method of least squares and the curl of a vector field also had Irish origins, as did inversion in a circle, the Smith normal form of a matrix and the arrow notation for limits!

Then there's the Edgeworth series, the 'student' t-test, and the word polytope. From more recent times, there are two no-theorems in quantum physics and the Weaire-Phelan structure.

Let's not forget Math Week, the world's largest maths outreach programme, and Peter Lynch's ongoing and award-winning That's Maths project.

These are just some of the things highlighted in the image below.

That's a page from the 2018 Irish Maths Calendar, shown here by Eoin Gill (of WIT/Calmast/Maths Week fame) upon its coming off the printing press in Dublin.

Here's a closer look and teaser of what lies inside:

(right click to enlarge)

Gallery of Irish Mathematicians (3500+ people)

Library of Irish Mathematics (800+ books)

Atlas of Irish Mathematics (250+ people highlighted)

Blogs of Irish Mathematics (15+ articles)

This page constructed 15 Dec 2017 to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the Annals of Irish Mathematics and Mathematicians.