James Clerk Maxwell: A Mathematical Biography

James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) is often remembered as the unifier of electricity, mag
netism and light. Yet, beyond the fame of “Maxwell’s Equations,” his intellectual trajectory
 reads as a deeply mathematical biography, in which geometry, analysis, and structural ab
straction guided his scientific imagination. In order to build further upon his math, we must
 respect the person. This document provides a mathematically-oriented account of Maxwell’s
 life and work, framing his achievements in the language of mathematics, and drawing occa
sional parallels with later figures such as Alexander Grothendieck, whose categorical vision
 echoes, in another register, Maxwell’s search for hidden unities. We hope to reignite public
 interest.