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Home , George Boole

*bicentenary celebration

GEORGE BOOLE 200

We have big plans . . .

Boole Outreach Programme Publication of The Life and Work of George Boole: October 2014 Bringing Boole alive as an inspiring A Prelude to the Digital Age by Desmond MacHale historical figure to schoolteachers, pupils and parents; stimulating Completion of Boole Genealogy Project: October 2014 interest in the study of Boole – the man, Boole family – the people and information Official launch of George Boole 200 in 6 November 2014 and communications technology and Dublin (ICT); explaining the legacy of Boole to the public; demonstrating George Boole 200 events in San Francisco, November– New York, Boston, London, Delhi, Chennai, how research at UCC is related to December 2014 areas influenced by Boole, such Mumbai and Bangalore as engineering, mathematics, Choral Evensong in St Michael’s Church, science, biosciences, 8 December 2014 Blackrock, Cork, marking the 150th anniversary music and philosophy. of Boole’s death in 1864

University of Lincoln Conversations on George Boole: a series of filmed interviews with leading experts on Boole We have established a close January-March 2015 and his legacy in , mathematics, computer association with colleagues at the science and engineering University of Lincoln and we will work together with them to bring 5 February 2015 George Boole Inaugural Lecture the story of Boole’s life to the Performances and academic colloquia widest audience. June-September 2015 on the theme of live interactive electronics

Association with other events Exhibitions of Boole’s writings and heritage We welcome other institutions July-November 2015 based in UCC’s Boole Library and on tour planning to celebrate the life and in Lincoln, London and Silicon Valley, California work of George Boole during the Exhibition of artworks on the theme of Boole’s July-November 2015 bicentenary year to contact us so legacy at UCC’s Lewis Glucksman Gallery that we can add links to such events to our calendar for 22-28 August 2015 Conference on Mathematics the year. Bicentenary Boole Conference: 27-30 August 2015 his achievements and his multiple legacies

29 August– Conferences on 4 September 2015

September 2015 Conference on Engineering

Celebration of the bicentenary of George Boole’s birth in 1815, including the conferring of honorary 2 November 2015 degrees on international leaders from the worlds of mathematics and information technology

All dates are correct at the time of going to print, but may be subject to change. See georgeboole.com for more information. 2015 IS GEORGE BOOLE’S 200TH BIRTHDAY YEAR

»»The most significant mathematician He is a hard act to follow. ever to have worked in Ireland But we can do it. »»Logician At (UCC), we »»Linguist believe in creating an environment where »»Author the curiosity of talented students and researchers can blossom, inspiring them »»Te acher to transcend the present boundaries of »»Professor knowledge. We want our graduates to possess a lifelong passion for learning, »»Family man the confidence of the independent thinker »»Adult educationalist and the vision to lead the development of a better society. They will not only be »»Humanitarian work-ready but also world-ready. »»Social reformer Everything we do is based on the spirit »»Has a moon crater named of enquiry. Just as George Boole’s after him and an asteroid . . . revolutionary insights led to profound changes, we can change the present and That’s before we get to the create the future. Just as George Boole or the logic inspired the generations who came after him, we can inspire those who come next. All in a life’s work for George Boole.

Join us in 2015 as we celebrate his life and his association with University College Cork “He looked, not like a professor writing a demonstration on a blackboard, but like an artist painting from a vision.”

George Boole, as described by a student JOIN UCC IN CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF GEORGE BOOLE (1815–1864), FATHER OF THE INFORMATION AGE

In 1849, George Boole was appointed the The definitive biography of Boole “ He was a first Professor of Mathematics at Queen’s is George Boole: His Life and Work, brilliant thinker, College, now University College Cork. His by University College Cork Emeritus research became a prelude to modern Professor of Mathematics, Desmond the possessor mathematics, microelectronic engineering MacHale (Boole Press, 1985). A revised of a truly original and computer science. Indeed, it is no edition of the book, The Life and Work exaggeration to say that Boole laid the of George Boole: A Prelude to the Digital mind. His story foundations of the Information Age. Age, with a new foreword by Professor Ian Stewart, has been published by Cork Boole received a Gold Medal for is our story: University Press to mark the 200th Mathematics in 1844 from the Royal anniversary of Boole’s birth. the creation of Society, the first to be awarded to a pure one of the great mathematician, and was elected Fellow In 1855 Boole married Mary Everest, later of the Royal Society in 1857. He published a noted educationalist and niece of Sir intellectual pillars many scientific papers and four books, , after whom the world’s the most famous of which is his magnum highest mountain is named. The couple that support our opus, An Investigation of the Laws of had five daughters - Mary Ellen, Margaret, modern world.” Thought, written while a professor in Alicia, Lucy and Ethel Lillian, all of whom UCC, and published in 1854. lived interesting lives and several of whom became famous in their own right. In Ian Stewart, What came to be known as Boolean addition to his university teaching and Emeritus Professor algebra was used by the engineer Claude research, Boole was also active in adult of Mathematics, at the Shannon in the 1930s to design electrical education in Cork. Sadly, in December University of Warwick circuits which could be used to carry out 1864, in the full vigour of his intellectual sequences of logical instructions based powers, Boole died after a fever. He is on the binary values “on/true” or “off/ buried in St Michael’s Church of Ireland false”. These circuits evolved into modern cemetery in Blackrock, Cork. and the instruction sequences became computer programmes, During George Boole 200 we will or . Thus, Boole’s work celebrate the man and his achievements. provides the mathematical and logical We plan a series of projects and events underpinning of computers, not only in 2014/2015 and we will carry Boole’s in their languages, but in their legacy forward, using his example to very construction. continue to inspire future generations through education and research. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Beyond 2015, University College Cork will commemorate Boole — the most significant mathematician ever to have worked in Ireland — in ways that will expand our contribution to scholarship and research, and strengthen our connection to enterprise and industry.

Documentary Film George Boole Institute Attracting Investment to Cork We have commissioned a UCC will establish a George Boole In collaboration with Cork City documentary film about George Institute that will provide a vehicle to Council, the Chamber of Commerce, Boole, to bring his life and nurture and develop scholarship in Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial achievements to international areas that have been touched by the Development Authority, and building audiences and raise his profile work of George Boole and his family, on our own gatewayUCC and Ignite worldwide. and will provide educational and programmes, we will further develop research opportunities to address the the local environment to facilitate 5 Grenville Place, Cork national and international ICT skills high-tech startup companies, George Boole lived in this house from shortage and reskilling needs especially in the ICT sector, and 1849, when he was appointed to the of existing workforces. attract new companies to locate in University, until 1855. Here he created Cork. The George Boole Institute his masterwork, An Investigation will be a key component of this of . We will landscape. renovate the Boole house to provide an accelerator centre for business start-ups and a conference facility to support innovation and investment.

The Boole family after George's death UCC GEORGE BOOLE 200 AFFILIATES PROGRAMME

You are invited to engage with UCC in the celebration of the life and legacy of George Boole.

Opportunities exist for partnership by supporting the George Boole 200 programme in general, or specifically through a project of your choice in the George Boole 200 programme of events in 2015, or through the George Boole 200 legacy projects.

Partnering with UCC in this endeavour “Education makes a can provide interesting marketing, research, fundamentally important corporate social responsibility and philanthropic opportunities. Support can be contribution to the well-being made in a tax effective manner in Ireland, the US and the UK. of society. At University College Cork, we believe in To discuss these opportunities please call: Dr Jean Van Sinderen-Law creating an environment in Director of Development and Alumni Relations which academic excellence and Director, Cork University Foundation T: + 00 353 (0)21 490 2205 E: [email protected] can be combined with opportunities for personal development and independent thinking.”

Dr Michael Murphy, President, University College Cork A LIFE OF INSPIRATION

Father of the Information Age In the mid-nineteenth century, George Boole’s limited means made it impossible George Boole 200 Boole’s original research, later to become to follow a conventional academic path. Steering Group known as Boolean logic and Boolean However, there were those who recognised algebra, laid the foundations for the his uncommon gift and in 1849, supported Dr Michael B. Murphy President design of modern computers and for the by testimonials from four leading Chair languages used to programme them. mathematicians, he was appointed the first Professor of Mathematics at the recently Eamonn Sweeney Boole was born in Lincoln, , in 1815. established Queen’s College in Cork, later Adviser to the President Secretary His father, John, was a shoemaker, whose to become University College Cork. real interest lay in making optical and Patrick Fitzpatrick scientific instruments. John was his son’s UCC and the city of Cork gave Boole both Emeritus Professor first teacher of mathematics and strongly a career and a home, providing the setting of Mathematics encouraged his academic development. for his ground-breaking research and for family life after his marriage in 1855 to Trevor Holmes Vice President for George became a schoolteacher to make Mary Everest, later a noted educationalist. External Relations a living and when not in front of a class (to September 2014) he pursued research in mathematics. His Their five daughters, all gifted in different energy and determination in his personal ways, led fascinating lives that, both Rónán Ó Dubhghaill Vice President for studies were prodigious. symbolically and in practice, provided External Relations evidence of their parents’ commitment (from September 2014) to individual personal development. “The founder of pure Dr Jean Van Sinderen-Law When George Boole died in 1864, he was Director of Development and Alumni Relations mathematics” aged only 49; the influence of his Boolean logic and was only George Boole, as described Professor Barry O’Sullivan beginning. Head of the Department by of Computer Science

In 1844 he won the Gold Medal of the Arlene Vithaldas “Boole’s system of logic CEO, UCC Academy Ltd Royal Society in London, the first to be awarded for pure mathematics, for his is but one of many George Boole 200 Programme paper On a General Method in Analysis. Management Team This and his subsequent volume, An proofs of genius and Pat McGrath Programme Director Investigation of the Laws of Thought, patience combined.” Aine McCarthy were referred to by Bertrand Russell Programme Manager as the works in which pure mathematics , Professor of Mathematics Kathy Bunney had its foundation. at University College London (c. 1835) Programme Support Officer

To learn more contact:

Design: T: 00 353 (0)21 420 5558 E: [email protected] W: georgeboole.com