Francis Guthrie

Francis Guthrie (born in London on January 22nd, 1831 - deceased on October 19th, 1899 with Claremont, suburbs of the Cape) was a Mathématicien South-African and a Botaniste. He was the first to state the Problème of the four colors in 1852. At this time, Guthrie was pupil of Augustus De Morgan with the University College of London. It obtained its B.A. in 1850 and its LL.B in 1852.

Whereas it colored a chart of the counties of England, it noticed that at least four colors were necessary so that no area dividing a common border is same color as another. He postulated whereas only four colors were sufficient to color any chart. This problem is known under the name of the problem of the four colors, and remained one of the topological problems , unsolved during more than one century, more famous, until it was finally shown in 1976 with the assistance of a computer.

Guthrie went to South Africa in 1861 and obtained the station of mathematics master with the Graaff-Reinet College.

Source

Botanical Exploration off Southern Africa Mary Gunn & Codd (AA Balkema 1981)

External bonds

http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/The_four_colour_theorem.html

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