mathematics

John Nelson Stockwell

John Nelson Stockwell is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand John Nelson Stockwell rather than just read about it. In short: John Nelson Robin Stockwell (10 April 1832 in Northampton, Massachusetts – 18 May 1920 in Shaker Heights, Ohio) was an American astronomer and mathematician. Life and work John Nelson Stockwell grew up with an uncle and aunt on a farm in Brecksville, Ohio.

Key takeaways

John Nelson Stockwell belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect John Nelson Stockwell to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of John Nelson Stockwell from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

John Nelson Robin Stockwell (10 April 1832 in Northampton, Massachusetts – 18 May 1920 in Shaker Heights, Ohio) was an American astronomer and mathematician.

Life and work John Nelson Stockwell grew up with an uncle and aunt on a farm in Brecksville, Ohio. He showed early mathematical talent and became interested in astronomy at the age of 12, when he experienced his first lunar eclipse. Largely self-taught, he acquired outstanding mathematical knowledge and skill. From 1854 he worked as a human computer for the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey under Benjamin Apthorp Gould, with whom he had been friends for decades. In 1861 he was appointed to a similar position at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. In 1876 Stockwell earned a Ph.D. at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. There Stockwell became friends with the philanthropist Leonard Case, from whose legacy the Case School of Applied Sciences was founded in 1880. Stockwell became Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy. Case School and Western Reserve University later became Case Western Reserve University. As early as 1887 Stockwell gave up his professorship and subsequently devoted himself exclusively to research. Stockwell was credited with calculating the orbits of numerous celestial bodies and the ecliptic. For example, he calculated the orbit of the asteroid Virginia and the dates of more than a hundred historical lunar and solar eclipses. Stockwell developed theories about the mutual orbital influence of celestial bodies and the calculation of the tides. In 1875 he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1889 he was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Stockwell married Sarah Healy (1833–1916) in 1855. The couple had six children, four of whom survived to adulthood. John Nelson Stockwell died on 18 May 1920 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He was 88 years of age. He is buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland.

Notes

References Howe, Charles S. (January 14, 1921), "John Nelson Stockwell", Science, New Series, 53 (1359): 35–37, Bibcode:1921Sci....53...35H, doi:10.1126/science.53.1359.35, JSTOR 1645845, PMID 17815325 See, T. J. J. (1920a), "Obituary Notice of John Nelson Stockwell of Cleveland, Ohio", Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 32 (190): 324–325, Bibcode:1920PASP...32..324S, doi:10.1086/123003 See, T. J. J. (1920b), "Historical Notice of John Nelson Stockwell of Cleveland, Ohio", Popular Astronomy, 28 (10): 565–584, Bibcode:1920PA.....28..565S

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with John Nelson Stockwell

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what John Nelson Stockwell claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to John Nelson Stockwell before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about John Nelson Stockwell ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of John Nelson Stockwell

In research: John Nelson Stockwell appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses John Nelson Stockwell in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: John Nelson Stockwell is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1832 births, 1920 deaths, American astronomers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for John Nelson Stockwell outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study John Nelson Stockwell in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what John Nelson Stockwell means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain John Nelson Stockwell out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is John Nelson Stockwell in simple terms?

John Nelson Robin Stockwell (10 April 1832 in Northampton, Massachusetts – 18 May 1920 in Shaker Heights, Ohio) was an American astronomer and mathematician. Life and work John Nelson Stockwell grew up with an uncle and aunt on a farm in Brecksville, Ohio.

Why does John Nelson Stockwell matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study John Nelson Stockwell?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on John Nelson Stockwell.