Joseph Larmor (11.07.1857-19.05.1942) was an English theoretical physicist and mathematician, a Fellow of the Royal Society (1892) and in 1912-14 its vice-president. He was born in Magheragall (Ireland). He graduated from Queen's University in Belfast (1877) and the University of Cambridge (1879). In 1880-85 he was professor at Queen's University in Belfast, and in 1885 — 1932 he worked at the University of Cambridge (professor from 1903).
His research was in the field of the electrodynamics of moving bodies, thermodynamics, magnetism and the study of the structure of the atom. Along with H. Lorentz he took part in the development of the electron theory, and independently of the latter he obtained the relativistic transformations of coordinates and time (the Lorentz transformations) and the formula for the addition of velocities. His monograph “Aether and Matter” (1900) played a significant part in the development of electrodynamics. He was the first to begin working out the electron theory of diamagnetism. In 1895 he discovered the precession of electrons rotating in an external field (the Larmor precession).
A member of many academies of sciences and scientific societies. The Royal Medal (1915) and the Copley Medal (1921).