Article
ID: CBB798268451

The Professor and the Student, Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (1890–1962) and William Sealy Gosset (1876–1937): Careers of Two Giants in Mathematical Statistics (2015)

unapi
Medical statistics Probability and statistics Statistics 19th century 20th century Gosset, William Sealy Fisher, Ronald Aylmer

Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher and William Sealy Gosset were responsible for laying the foundations of statistical inference. Tests that bear their names are used by students and researchers in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Similar and different in many respects, their lives and careers are the subject of this essay. They were not teacher and pupil; in fact the student was 14 years older than the professor. Their careers did not require them to interact with one another much but they were aware of one another’s work. Although Sir Ronald is assigned the role of the professor, his success as a teacher was impaired by his inability to understand the limitations of his students. Meanwhile Gosset was forced to publish his work under the pseudonym ‘Student' in order to make contributions to the field of mathematical statistics. Both men are undisputed giants in the field of statistics and we celebrate their achievements as much as we try to understand their struggles.

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Authors & Contributors
Andrade da Cruz, Rodrigo
Paul W. Mielke
Janis E. Johnston
Chapman, Siobhan
Kenneth J. Berry
Zabell, Sandy L.
Journals
Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique
Historical Records of Australian Science
História, Ciências, Saúde---Manguinhos
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
Statistical Science
Publishers
University of Maryland, College Park
Springer
Routledge
Cambridge University Press
Concepts
Probability and statistics
Statistics
Mathematics
Experiments and experimentation
Science and government
Methodology of science; scientific method
People
Fisher, Ronald Aylmer
Pearson, Karl
Pitman, E.J.G.
Hoek, Paulus Peronius Cato
Yates, Frances Amelia
Edgeworth, Francis Ysidro
Time Periods
20th century
19th century
20th century, early
Places
Australia
Great Britain
Russia
Belgium
Soviet Union
India
Institutions
Statistical Society of London
Royal Statistical Society
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) (Australia)
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