‘Denaming’ TCD’s Berkeley Library

To infinity and beyond

Sir, – The TCD Students’ Union is actively campaigning for the “denaming” of the Berkeley Library, in view of the bishop’s ownership of slaves. It promises to step up the action if progress on its demand is not made this month. While expressing no view on this preposterous proposal, I have an idea that could solve problems that may follow from such denaming.

William Rowan Hamilton, Ireland’s greatest mathematician, is renowned for discovering new numbers called quaternions. They have four base units, 1, i, j and k. The current Hamilton Library could be renamed Hamilton 1. Then the Berkeley, Lecky and Ussher Libraries could be rebranded as Hamilton i, j and k.

I will speak about “Levels of Infinity” at 6:30pm tomorrow (September 29th) in the John Hume Lecture Theatre 4, North Campus, Maynooth University. The event is the 2022 Berkeley Lecture. – Yours, etc,

Prof PETER LYNCH,

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UCD,

Belfield,

Dublin 4.