Smith’s prize

An annual University of Cambridge prize for outstanding achievement in mathematics and theoretical physics, established from a bequest by Robert Smith and first awarded in 1769. During the nineteenth century, it was awarded by examination and became one of Cambridge’s leading mathematical distinctions. From 1885, awards were based on submitted essays. Additional Rayleigh and Knight prizes were later established, and the awards were renamed the Rayleigh-Knight and Smith-Knight prizes in 1997.