P G Tait's statistical models

Abstract

This paper explains how the discovery of a pocket notebook brings to light P G Tait's surprising involvement in statistics. Tait (1831–1901) was Professor of Mathematics at the Queen's College, Belfast and later of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a former Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge (senior wrangler and first Smith's prizeman in 1852).