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Thomas Fiske

Thomas Fiske 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 Thomas Fiske rather than just read about it. In short: Thomas Scott Fiske (1865–January 10, 1944) was an American mathematician. He was born in New York City and graduated in 1885 (Ph.D., 1888) from Columbia University, where he was a fellow, assistant, tutor, instructor, and adjunct professor until 1897, when he became professor of mathematics.

Thomas Fiske — main illustration
Thomas Fiske — illustration

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Thomas Scott Fiske (1865–January 10, 1944) was an American mathematician. He was born in New York City and graduated in 1885 (Ph.D., 1888) from Columbia University, where he was a fellow, assistant, tutor, instructor, and adjunct professor until 1897, when he became professor of mathematics. In 1899 he was acting dean of Barnard College. He was president in 1902–04 of the American Mathematical Society, and he also edited the Bulletin (1891–99) and Transactions (1899–1905) of this society. In 1902 he became secretary of the College Entrance Examination Board. In 1905–06 he also served as president of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics of the Middle States and Maryland. Besides his mathematical papers, he was author of Theory of Functions of a Complex Variable (1906; fourth edition, 1907)

Writings Functions of a complex variable (New York: J. Wiley, 1907)

References

External links Thomas Fiske Collection at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Thomas Fiske", MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews Thomas Fiske at the Mathematics Genealogy Project

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Illustrations

Thomas Fiske illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Thomas Fiske

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Thomas Fiske 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 Thomas Fiske 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 Thomas Fiske 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 Thomas Fiske

In research
Thomas Fiske 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 Thomas Fiske 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
Thomas Fiske is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1865 births, 1944 deaths, 19th-century American male writers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Thomas Fiske 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 Thomas Fiske in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Thomas Fiske in simple terms?

Thomas Scott Fiske (1865–January 10, 1944) was an American mathematician. He was born in New York City and graduated in 1885 (Ph.D., 1888) from Columbia University, where he was a fellow, assistant, tutor, instructor, and adjunct professor until 1897, when he became professor of mathematics.

Why does Thomas Fiske 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 Thomas Fiske?

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 Thomas Fiske.

Tags

  • 1865 births
  • 1944 deaths
  • 19th-century American male writers
  • 19th-century American mathematicians
  • 20th-century American mathematicians
  • American male journalists
  • American mathematician stubs
  • American non-fiction writers
  • Columbia College, Columbia University alumni
  • Journalists from New York City
  • Mathematicians from New York (state)
  • Presidents of the American Mathematical Society

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