Alfred Kempe

Mathematician, Academic

1849 – 1922

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Who was Alfred Kempe?

Sir Alfred Bray Kempe D.C.L. F.R.S. was a mathematician best known for his work on linkages and the four color theorem.

Kempe studied at Trinity College, Cambridge where Arthur Cayley was one of his teachers. He graduated BA in 1872. Despite his interest in mathematics he became a barrister, specializing in the ecclesiastical law. He was knighted in 1913, the same year he become the Chancellor for the Diocese of London. He received the honorary degree D.C.L. from the University of Durham.

In 1877 Kempe discovered new straight line linkages and published his influential lectures on the subject. Kempe's universality theorem for linkages states that any bounded subset of an algebraic curve may be traced out by the motion of one of the joints in a suitably chosen linkage. Kempe's proof was flawed, and the first complete proof was provided in 2002, based on his ideas.

In 1879 Kempe wrote his famous "proof" of the four color theorem, shown incorrect by Percy Heawood in 1890. Much later, his work led to fundamental concepts such as the Kempe chain and unavoidable sets.

Kempe revealed a rather marked philosophical bent, and much influenced Charles Sanders Peirce.

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Born
Jul 7, 1849
Kensington
Nationality
  • United Kingdom
Profession
Education
  • Trinity College, Cambridge
  • University of Cambridge
Died
Apr 21, 1922
London

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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