Episode 2 of 2
Carving the formula on Broom Bridge
- When
- 16 October 1843
- Where
- Broom Bridge
Hamilton recorded the fundamental formula for quaternions on Broom Bridge, a site now commemorated by a plaque despite the loss of the original carving.
Hamilton first wrote down the fundamental formula for quaternions on Broom Bridge on 16 October 1843. The bridge, located in Cabra, Dublin, is named after William Broome. Hamilton's sons later called it the Quaternion Bridge. A stone plaque on the underside of the bridge commemorates the discovery, though no trace of the original carving remains.
Sources
- Broom Bridge Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-06
- William Rowan Hamilton Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.