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The Annals of Irish Mathematics and Mathematicians (AIMM) is a comprehensive online resource documenting the history and contributions of Irish mathematicians over the past four centuries.^[1] Initiated in 2014 and developed continuously since then by Colm Mulcahy,^[2] AIMM has evolved into a suite of webpages that chronicle the lives, careers, and achievements of over 5,300 mathematical figures associated with Ireland.^[3]^[a]

History

Before the advent of the twentieth century, the Irish mathematical landscape was largely dominated by British-educated gentlemen, a significant portion of whom were also British-born. Higher-level academic and professional prospects in mathematics were generally inaccessible to women, and often to those of Catholic faith as well.^[3]

Initially, the project had the modest goal of tracing the careers of mathematics graduates from the National University of Ireland (NUI) who completed their studies in the 1970s and 1980s. However, AIMM's scope gradually expanded to include mathematicians associated with all Irish higher educational institutions, as well as those who obtained their doctoral degrees under Irish supervision, irrespective of their place of birth or education.

The growth and success of AIMM owes much to the collaborative efforts of many contributors, with particular emphasis on the valuable input from senior members of the mathematical community who provided personal recollections, anecdotes, and assistance in researching historical records and documents.

Objectives

The primary objectives of AIMM include:^[4]

Developing a comprehensive and evolving digital repository dedicated to Irish mathematics and mathematicians. This online archive is designed to support ongoing research and facilitate future expansion of knowledge in this field, making information more accessible to researchers, students, and enthusiasts.
Promoting a deeper and inclusive knowledge and appreciation of Irish mathematics and mathematical sciences in academia, educational circles, and among the general public.AIMM is closely associated with Maths Week Ireland and the Irish Mathematical Society^[5] and has been involved in various initiatives to promote Irish mathematical heritage.^[1] In October 2015, AIMM launched the 2016 Irish Mathematics calendar,^[6] featuring 72 notable mathematicians with mini-biographies and hundreds of birthdays.^[5]

Structure and Content

AIMM consists of several interconnected components:^[4]

Main Database: A chronological listing of Irish mathematicians, including their names, degrees, contributions, life spans, and career overviews.
Atlas: Documents the geographical origins of Irish mathematical people.
Companion sites like the Library of Irish Mathematics and Maths Ireland Map
A gallery with photographs of over 1,500 mathematicians
Books: Lists over 1,000 volumes of Irish mathematical publications.^[7]
Women in Mathematics: Highlights women who have contributed to mathematics in Ireland.

AIMM coordinates with the Mathematics Genealogy Project to record all Irish doctorates. The project also includes photographs of mathematicians.

Women in Mathematics

AIMM places a special focus on documenting the contributions of Irish women in mathematics.^[3] It traces the progress of women from 1870 to 1920, when they first began pursuing mathematics beyond secondary school level, up to recent decades. The first Irish-born woman to get a PhD in pure mathematics in Ireland appears to have been Siobhán Vernon from Cork, in 1964.^[8] Very few of the pioneering women had the chance to enter academia. They often ended up as astronomers or simply teachers. Even those who started relevant careers generally had them cut short if they married. The proportion of highlighted women in AIMM has risen to one-third of the total entries.^[9]

Irish Contributions to Mathematics

AIMM documents and highlights the major Irish contributions to mathematics. These include quaternions, the (x,y) notation for complex numbers, octonions, inversion in a circle, the nabla operator, Stokes' theorem, Boolean algebra, the Hamilton-Cayley theorem, the term polytope, John Lighton Synge's work on geometrical optics and relativity, the Weaire-Phelan structure, and the proof that Sudoku always needs at least 17 clues.

In physics, Irish contributions hightlighted by AIMM include Boyle's law, the Kelvin temperature scale, the Lorentz-FitzGerald contraction, the 1920 introduction of black holes as real physical entities, and the no-go theorems of Bell and O'Raifeartaigh.

Ongoing Development

Colm Mulcahy continues to curate AIMM, expanding its size, scope, and depth. The project remains a dynamic resource, open to contributions and updates from the mathematical community1.