Launching mathematical research without a formal mandate: the role of university-affiliated journals in Britain, 1837--1870 (Q885087)

The Ph.D. as a formal mandate for conducting research was established not until the beginning of the 20th century in Britain. There were examinations for the students, B. A. and M. A., but they had different and fluid meanings at different British universities. Mostly they included religious tests, unattainable for women and those not allied with the Church of England. Graduates from universities throughout Britain frequently attempted to earn a second B. A. at Cambridge which was the best available in Britain. The Senate House Examinations known as ``Tripos'' ranked the successful students, and high-ranking ``wrangler'' gained access to promising positions in the church and government. Another possible honor at Cambridge were the ```Smith`s Prizes''. The contact of students and professors was very different at the various universities. In Cambridge the students employed private coaches, and the professorship had ample time for research. In contrast to this practice the fellows at some other British universities acted as college tutors faced daunting teaching loads and administrative responsibilities. In this situation a source of encouragement for research were articles and running mathematical conversations in university-affiliated mathematical journals. These journals gave students and graduates a venue to the training of mathematical research and discussion. They offered young, unkown mathematicians an opportunity to publish papers. The case of George Boole illustrates that also outsiders of university mathematics were supported. S. E. Despaux gives account of the founding and the history of the ``Cambridge Mathematical Journal'' (1837--1845), the ``Cambridge and Dublin Mathematical Journal'' (1846--1854) the ``Transactions of the Dublin University Philosophical Society'' (1843--1854), and the ``Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin Messenger of Mathematics'' (1862--1870). The four university-affiliated journals were conducted by a group of recent mathematics graduates and current students, amongst others for instance Archibald Smith, Duncon Gregory, William Thomson, John Casey and James Glaisher.