Lewis Carrol—Mathematician

Abstract

As this is the last paper of our meeting, you may be expecting me to provide a bright and witty epilogue to conclude the proceedings. Further, since Lewis Carroll is recognised as a humorist, who did not hesitate to include pantomime humour in his mathematical essays, you may be expecting a kind of harlequinade. But, unfortunately, I cannot fulfil these expectations the title is Lewis Carroll—mathematician, and as he took himself very seriously as a mathematician it would be a poor tribute if I treated this aspect of his work in a light-hearted manner.During the past twelve months many tributes have been paid to Lewis Carroll. His literary genius, his imaginative powers, his love of children, his interest in logic, ”his penchant for puns, puzzles, parodies and palaver“, all these have been the subject of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as of the more ambitious essays and books in praise of one who always avoided publicity, and was almost ashamed of being recognised as the author of Alice in Wonderland. But little has been heard of the Rev C. L. Dodgson, mathematical lecturer of Christ Church, Oxford, the author of mathematical pamphlets and books, which he was not ashamed to publish without a pseudonym.