Edward Copson

Edward Thomas Copson ( born August 21, 1901 in Coventry, † February 16, 1980 in St Andrews ) was a British mathematician.

He made his Bachelor 1922 at St John's College, Oxford University, where he was a student of Augustus Edward Hough Love and Godfrey Harold Hardy. Edmund Taylor Whittaker took him to a faculty posts ( Lecturer ) at the University of Edinburgh. The story goes that to the fact that he interviewed Copson at a train station ( Windermere ) and it antrug the lectureship at the subsequent train ride. He remained until 1930 in Edinburgh when he was under Herbert Turnbull Lecturer at St Andrews College. In 1931 he married Beatrice Mary Whittaker, the eldest daughter of Whittaker. In 1934 he became professor of mathematics at Queen 's College, Dundee, later University of Dundee.

Copson studied primarily classical analysis, asymptotic expansions, differential and integral equations and problems of theoretical physics. He wrote a standard work on function theory, The theory of functions of a complex variable (1935 ), the particular so well sold in the U.S. that he could expand his house to what he called " American Wing " by the fees.

Copson was considered an excellent teacher who presented the material with remarkable clarity. He used no notes.

He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.