astronomy

Peter Redford Scott Lang

Peter Redford Scott Lang is a astronomy 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 Peter Redford Scott Lang rather than just read about it. In short: Sir Peter Redford Scott Lang VD FRSE (1850–1926) was a Scottish mathematician and Regius Professor at the University of St Andrews. In the 1880s he instituted “Common Dinners” to bring the students together for joint meals (often referred to as “commies”).

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Sir Peter Redford Scott Lang VD FRSE (1850–1926) was a Scottish mathematician and Regius Professor at the University of St Andrews. In the 1880s he instituted “Common Dinners” to bring the students together for joint meals (often referred to as “commies”). This had a major impact upon student social life and was thereafter adopted by several Scottish universities. In memory of this the University of St Andrews holds an annual Scott Lang Dinner.

Life He was born in Edinburgh on 8 October 1850, the youngest of six children of Barbara Turnbull (née Cochrane) and Robert Laidlaw Lang (b.1808), an advocate’s clerk. They lived at 125 Fountainbridge in the south-west of the city. He was educated at the Edinburgh Institution (now known as Stewarts Melville College) and then studied mathematics and natural philosophy (physics) at the University of Edinburgh. His university studies were interspersed with training as a life assurance clerk. He graduated MA BSc in 1872 and began assisting in lectures in natural philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. In 1878 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir Robert Christison, Peter Guthrie Tait, David Stevenson, and John Hutton Balfour. In 1879 he moved to the University of St Andrews as Professor of Mathematics. During his time at St Andrews he purchased a house on South Street. He rose to also be Dean of the Faculty of Arts within the University. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 1st Fifeshire Royal Garrison Artillery, a volunteer battalion based at the no 7 battery at Anstruther. He had served as a volunteer for at least 20 years, gaining the Victorian Officer’s Decoration (VD) in 1900. He was granted the honorary rank of Colonel on 25 October 1902. He was knighted in 1921 by King George V on the point of his retiral. In 1922 the University of St Andrews awarded him an honorary doctorate (LLD). He died at home in St Andrews on 5 July 1926. He is buried with his wife and daughter in St Andrews Cathedral Churchyard. The grave lies on a wall to the south of the central tower.

Family He was married to Alice Mary Dickson (1858-1932) from Colinton. They had one daughter, Edith Mary Valentine Lang (1880-1936).

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Peter Redford Scott Lang

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Peter Redford Scott Lang claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 Peter Redford Scott Lang 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 Peter Redford Scott Lang 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 Peter Redford Scott Lang

In research: Peter Redford Scott Lang appears in astronomy 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 Peter Redford Scott Lang 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: Peter Redford Scott Lang is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1850 births, 1926 deaths, Academics from Edinburgh, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Peter Redford Scott Lang 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.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Peter Redford Scott Lang” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Peter Redford Scott Lang in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Peter Redford Scott Lang 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 Peter Redford Scott Lang out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Peter Redford Scott Lang in simple terms?

Why does Peter Redford Scott Lang matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Peter Redford Scott Lang?

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 Peter Redford Scott Lang.