Robert Richard Anstice (1813–1853): a Hertfordshire bicentenary

Abstract

R R Anstice was a little known English clergyman who made significant contributions to Combinatorics, anticipating results in modern design theory. The year 2013 is the 200th anniversary of his birth. Anstice took the first steps in treating Combinatorial Design Theory as part of Algebra, in retrospect anticipating many later developments. In particular he touched on an important structure now known as a ‘Room square’, named after the twentieth century Anglo-Australian mathematician T G Room. Here we review Anstice's short life and give an account of his mathematics.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Judith Curthoys for helping us with the archives at Christ Church and to the staff at the Hertfordshire Archives at Hertford.