Building an International Reputation: The Case of J. J. Sylvester (1814-1897) (Q3130165)

Sylvester's career did not fit into the usual pattern of 19th century Britain: he was a Jew and so excluded from taking a degree or holding any post at Cambridge. He was unusual in his appreciation of the importance of making contacts with continental mathematicians and in his two forays to the United States where he held university posts. The first, at the University of Virginia, was not a success, but his presence at the Johns Hopkins University between 1876 and 1883 was of importance in establishing mathematical research there. This paper brings together the various aspects of Sylvester's life, character and research, stressing the internationalism of his career (an unusual feature in British mathematics at that time).