Editing William Rowan Hamilton (section)

==Student years==
In mid-1822, Hamilton began a systematic study of [[Laplace]]'s ''[[Traité de mécanique céleste|Mécanique Céleste]]''. During this period, he encountered what he believed to be a logical error in ''Mécanique Céleste'', an observation which led Hamilton to be introduced to [[John Brinkley (astronomer)|John Brinkley]], then Royal Astronomer of Ireland.<ref name="DNB"/> In November and December of 1822, he completed his first three original mathematical papers.  On his first visit to Dunsink Observatory, he showed two of them to Brinkley, who requested that the papers be developed further. Hamilton complied, and early in 1823, Brinkley approved the amended version.<ref>Graves (1882) Vol. I, pp. 124, 128</ref> In July of 1823, Hamilton earned a place at [[Trinity College Dublin]] by examination, at age 17. His tutor there was [[Charles Boyton]], a family friend,<ref name="ODNB"/> who brought to his attention the contemporary mathematics published by the group at the [[École Polytechnique]] in Paris.<ref>{{cite web |title=Boyton, Charles, Dictionary of Irish Biography |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/boyton-charles-a0864 |website=www.dib.ie |language=en}}</ref> John Brinkley remarked of the precocious Hamilton, "This young man, I do not say ''will be'', but ''is'', the first mathematician of his age."<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027525990;view=1up;seq=155 Sir W. R. Hamilton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507113324/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027525990;view=1up;seq=155 |date=7 May 2019 }} The Gentleman's magazine. vol 220, 1866 Jan–Jun, p. 129</ref>

The college awarded Hamilton two ''optime''s, or off-the-chart grades, in [[Ancient Greek language|Greek]] and in physics. He was first in every subject and at every examination. He aimed to win a Trinity College fellowship by competitive examination,<ref name="ODNB"/> but this did not happen. Instead, after Brinkley in 1826 was made [[Bishop of Cloyne]],<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=3438|first=P. A.|last=Wayman|title=Brinkley, John (1766/7–1835)}}</ref> Hamilton was appointed in 1827 to the vacant posts left by Brinkley's departure, Andrews Professor of Astronomy and Royal Astronomer of Ireland.<ref name="Bruno2003"/>{{rp|209}} Despite having his undergraduate career cut short in this way, he earned degrees in both classics and mathematics (BA in 1827, MA in 1837).

===Personal life and poetry===
In 1824, Hamilton was introduced at [[Edgeworthstown]] to the novelist [[Maria Edgeworth]], by the Rev. [[Richard Butler (Irish priest)|Richard Butler]], the vicar of [[Trim, County Meath]] to whom his uncle James Hamilton was curate.<ref name="alox">{{alox2|title=Butler, Richard (3)}}</ref><ref name="Hankins">Hankins (1980)</ref>{{rp|5, 34}} During the same period, his uncle introduced him to the Disney family at [[Summerhill House]], County Meath. The Disney sons attended Trinity College, and Hamilton had friends among them. At Summerhill, he met Catherine Disney, their sister.<ref name="Hankins">Hankins (1980)</ref>{{rp|37}}<ref name="Brown">{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Daniel |title=William Rowan Hamilton and William Wordsworth: the Poetry of Science |journal=Studies in Romanticism |date=2012 |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=475–501 |jstor=24247229 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24247229 |issn=0039-3762}}</ref>

Hamilton was attracted to Catherine Disney, but her family did not approve and Catherine was required to marry the Rev. William Barlow, a brother of her elder sister's husband. The wedding took place in 1825.<ref name="Hankins">Hankins (1980)</ref>{{rp|109, 113}} Hamilton wrote in 1826 about his feelings for her in an extended poem, "The Enthusiast". Over twenty years later, in 1847, he confided in [[John Herschel]] that during this period he might have become a poet.<ref name="Brown"/>

In 1825, Hamilton met [[Arabella Lawrence (educator)|Arabella Lawrence]], younger sister of [[Sarah Lawrence (educator)|Sarah Lawrence]], a significant correspondent and frank critic of his poetry. It was a contact he made through Maria Edgeworth's circle.<ref name="Hankins"/>{{rp|26}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Daniel |title=William Rowan Hamilton and William Wordsworth: the Poetry of Science |journal=Studies in Romanticism |date=2012 |volume=51 |issue=4 |page=490 |jstor=24247229 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24247229 |issn=0039-3762}}</ref>