William Thomson’s School Life
In October 1841 the 17-year-old Thomson entered St Peter’s College (Peterhouse), Cambridge, as a “pensioner” in other words as a student who paid his own way. The formal tutoring in mathematics in his first year was of a very low level compared with what Thomson already knew. Indeed, by the time he reached Cambridge, Thomson had already published a paper in the Cambridge Mathematical Journal, in which he defended the mathematical rigour of Fourier series against the erroneous criticisms of Philip Kelland, a mathematician at Edinburgh University. During his time as an undergraduate he wrote a further 10 papers and was quickly tipped to be the “senior wrangler” (the student who would come first in the final mathematics examinations).
While Thomson was at Cambridge every member of his family regularly wrote to him. His father, who was footing all the bills, often advised him on the wise use of money and time. Yearly college maintenance fees alone came to £230, which would probably have accounted for as much as one-third of his father’s annual income. Thomson’s letters to his father often contained detailed lists of all expenditure. If writing to ask for extra money, he would sometimes include a mathematical theorem for possible use in exams to soften his father up.
In one early letter to his father, Thomson outlined how he planned to spend his days at Cambridge. His intention was to rise at 5 a.m. and light his fire; read until 8:15 a.m.; attend his daily lecture; read until 1 p.m.; exercise until 4 p.m.; attend chapel until 7 p.m.; read until 8:30 p.m.; and finally go to bed at 9 p.m. As Thomson’s modern biographers point out, it is doubtful whether he actually adhered strictly to this timetable, but it does illustrate his lifelong desire to minimize wasted time.
Thomson took part in many other activities at Cambridge besides studying. He rowed, becoming an excellent oarsman. He played the cornet and helped to establish the university’s music society. He also walked, skated and swam. Of all these activities it was Thomson’s rowing that his father disapproved of the most, fearing that it would bring his son into loose company, which would “ruin [Thomson] forever” with wine parties and time wasting.
Thomson’s final exams - the Senate House examinations - began on New Year’s Day 1845 and went on until 7 January. There were 12 papers, with morning papers lasting two and a half hours and afternoon papers three hours. The final result depended on both the quantity and quality of the answers to the questions. The exams were the toughest mathematical racecourse in the land, with the competitors trained like thoroughbreds to answer questions at top speed, and to use all possible short cuts to reach the answers.
To universal surprise Thomson came not first but second, behind one Stephen Parkinson of St John’s College. The family was disappointed, but justice was eventually done when Thomson came first in the Smith’s prize examination at the end of January. The papers for this exam were more suited to Thomson’s abilities, containing as they did more problem-solving questions and less of the bookwork that characterized the Senate House papers. Even though Thomson had come second in the Senate House examinations, the comments around Cambridge showed that he was by far the greater mind. As one examiner commented to a colleague: “You and I are just about fit to mend [Thomson’s] pens.” These successes meant that Thomson was elected a fellow of St Peter’s in June 1845 at the age of 21.
摘自：http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/16484