Prof. Alfred Lodge

Abstract

MAY I add a few words to the obituary notice of Alfred Lodge, written by one whom I count amongst my friends? I had the privilege of being taught mathematics by Alfred Lodge, and although I was a mere boy at the time, I remember distinctly realizing my good fortune in having a teacher quite out of the ordinary. Whereas others taught us the usefulness of mathematics, it was Alfred Lodge who impressed on us its beauty. Under his influence one acquired the attitude towards any problem that it was not completely solved until-one had found the neatest solution. Sometimes direct attack on a problem had led to a surprisingly simple result, and I remember how on such occasions Lodge would be asked either by a colleague or by a pupil if he could not find a more elegant derivation. It usually took him less than half an hour to produce it. The affectionate regard that we as schoolboys had for him was reflected in his nickname, “Daddy Lodge”.