Magdalene Maths History: The First to Come First Since 1778

As graduation celebrations have calmed down and given way to the excitement of welcoming a new cohort after A-Level results day, we want to reflect on a remarkable achievement in Magdalene’s mathematical history. For the first time since 1778, a Magdalene student and Prince Philip Scholar, Eaton Liu (2023), has been named Senior Wrangler, following in the footsteps of William Farish and Edward Waring, Senior Wranglers at Magdalene in 1778 and 1757 respectively. This is a prestigious title awarded to the student who is ranked first by the Examiners in Part II Mathematics across the whole University. 

Eaton, who worked on a departmental research programme in algebraic geometry this summer, has a particular affinity for pure mathematics, but has loved the breadth of intellectual curiosity offered at Cambridge and Magdalene, finding excitement in how concepts can be both mathematically interesting and rich in philosophical insight.  

Though Eaton’s choice of Magdalene was in no small part influenced by the College’s geographical proximity to key departmental buildings, he has greatly enjoyed his supervisions here, as well as the peaceful study space in the New Library out of term time.  

Being named this year’s Senior Wrangler is a particularly notable feat for Eaton, an admirer of a previous Senior Wrangler, Frank Ramsey (Trinity). Frank Ramsey, whose father was also a mathematician and President of Magdalene (1915–37), gave his name to what is known as the Ramsey theory, a branch of combinatorial mathematics which investigates how large a structure needs to be for particular properties to hold true. However, Frank Ramsey's interests were not confined to mathematics. He also made significant contributions to economics, politics and literature. Eaton shares this multidisciplinary perspective on mathematics, stating that ‘many ideas in other disciplines require sophisticated mathematics to formalise. I think that the division of subjects/Triposes is somewhat arbitrary, so Mathematicians should not just do maths (as defined by the Mathematical Tripos)’. 

This coming October, Eaton will be going into a fourth year of study to read Part III Mathematics. All of us at Magdalene are proud of his success and look forward to what lies ahead for Eaton.