7-2-1850

Stokes' theorem appeared for the first time as a postscript to a letter from Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) to Stokes. It first appeared publicly as Question 8 on the Smith's Prize exam for 1854. Stokes drew up this competitive exam, which was taken by the best mathematics students at Cambridge University. By the time Stokes died, the theorem was universally known as "Stokes' theorem."

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George Stokes
Stokes' Theorem
William Thomson (Lord Kelvin)