S. Francis Boys
Encyclopedia
Samuel Francis Boys FRS (20 December 1911-16 October 1972) was born in Pudsey
, Yorkshire
, England
. He was educated at the Grammar School in Pudsey and then at Imperial College, London
. He graduated in Chemistry in 1932. He did his Ph.D. at Trinity College
at Cambridge University, supervised first by Professor Martin Lowry
, and then, after Lowry's death in 1936, by Sir John Lennard-Jones
.
In 1938, Boys was appointed an Assistant Lecturer in Mathematical Physics
at Queen’s University, Belfast
. He spent the whole of the Second World War working on explosives research with the Ministry of Supply
at the Royal Arsenal
, Woolwich
, with Lennard-Jones as his supervisor. After the war, Boys accepted an ICI
Fellowship at Imperial College, London. In 1949, he was appointed to a Lectureship in theoretical chemistry
at Cambridge University. He remained at Cambridge until his death. He was only elected to a Cambridge College Fellowship at University College, now Wolfson College
, shortly before his death.
Boys is best known for the introduction of Gaussian orbital
s into ab initio
quantum chemistry
. Almost all basis sets
used in computational chemistry
now employ these orbitals. Frank Boys was also one of the first scientists to use digital computers for calculations on polyatomic molecules.
An International Conference, entitled "Molecular Quantum Mechanics: Methods and Applications" was held in memory of S. Francis Boys and in honour of Isaiah Shavitt
in September, 1995 at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
.
Boys was a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1972, not long before his death.
Pudsey
Pudsey is a market town in West Yorkshire, England. Once an independent town, it was incorporated into the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in 1974, and is located midway between Bradford and Leeds city centres. It has a population of 32,391....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was educated at the Grammar School in Pudsey and then at Imperial College, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He graduated in Chemistry in 1932. He did his Ph.D. at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
at Cambridge University, supervised first by Professor Martin Lowry
Martin Lowry
Thomas Martin Lowry CBE FRS was an English physical chemist. Independently from Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted he has developed the Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory and was as a founder-member and president of the Faraday Society.-Biography:Lowry was born in Low Moor, Bradford, West Yorkshire,...
, and then, after Lowry's death in 1936, by Sir John Lennard-Jones
John Lennard-Jones
Sir John Edward Lennard-Jones KBE, FRS was a mathematician who was a professor of theoretical physics at Bristol University, and then of theoretical science at Cambridge University...
.
In 1938, Boys was appointed an Assistant Lecturer in Mathematical Physics
Mathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
at Queen’s University, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He spent the whole of the Second World War working on explosives research with the Ministry of Supply
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
at the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, with Lennard-Jones as his supervisor. After the war, Boys accepted an ICI
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
Fellowship at Imperial College, London. In 1949, he was appointed to a Lectureship in theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry seeks to provide theories that explain chemical observations. Often, it uses mathematical and computational methods that, at times, require advanced knowledge. Quantum chemistry, the application of quantum mechanics to the understanding of valency, is a major component of...
at Cambridge University. He remained at Cambridge until his death. He was only elected to a Cambridge College Fellowship at University College, now Wolfson College
Wolfson College, Cambridge
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Wolfson is one of a small number of Cambridge colleges which admit only students over the age of 21. The majority of students at the college are postgraduates, with around 15% studying undergraduate...
, shortly before his death.
Boys is best known for the introduction of Gaussian orbital
Gaussian orbital
In computational chemistry and molecular physics, Gaussian orbitals are functions used as atomic orbitals in the LCAO method for the computation of electron orbitals in molecules and numerous properties that depend on these.- Rationale :The principal reason for the use of Gaussian basis functions...
s into ab initio
Ab initio quantum chemistry methods
Ab initio quantum chemistry methods are computational chemistry methods based on quantum chemistry. The term ab initiowas first used in quantum chemistry by Robert Parr and coworkers, including David Craig in a semiempirical study on the excited states of benzene.The background is described by Parr...
quantum chemistry
Quantum chemistry
Quantum chemistry is a branch of chemistry whose primary focus is the application of quantum mechanics in physical models and experiments of chemical systems...
. Almost all basis sets
Basis set (chemistry)
A basis set in chemistry is a set of functions used to create the molecular orbitals, which are expanded as a linear combination of such functions with the weights or coefficients to be determined. Usually these functions are atomic orbitals, in that they are centered on atoms. Otherwise, the...
used in computational chemistry
Computational chemistry
Computational chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses principles of computer science to assist in solving chemical problems. It uses the results of theoretical chemistry, incorporated into efficient computer programs, to calculate the structures and properties of molecules and solids...
now employ these orbitals. Frank Boys was also one of the first scientists to use digital computers for calculations on polyatomic molecules.
An International Conference, entitled "Molecular Quantum Mechanics: Methods and Applications" was held in memory of S. Francis Boys and in honour of Isaiah Shavitt
Isaiah Shavitt
Isaiah Shavitt was born on July 29, 1925 in Kutno, Poland. He was awarded a Ph.D. at Cambridge University, in 1957. He was a professor at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel from 1962 to 1967. In 1967 he moved to a senior research position at Battelle Memorial Institute...
in September, 1995 at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
.
Boys was a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science
International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science
The International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science is an international scientific learned society covering all applications of quantum theory to chemistry and chemical physics. It was created in Menton in 1967. The founding members were Raymond Daudel, Per-Olov Löwdin, Robert G. Parr, John...
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1972, not long before his death.