Background
Trail was the son of William Trail (1712–1756) minister of Street Monance, Fife. His parents died both in 1756.
Trail was the son of William Trail (1712–1756) minister of Street Monance, Fife. His parents died both in 1756.
In 1759, he entered in Marischal College (Aberdeen) and in 1763 he moved to university of Glasgow where he studied under Robert Simson and graduated Master of Arts
In 1766. In 1766 he was successful to obtain the chair of mathematics in Marischal College (in competence with John Playfair and Robert Hamilton). In 1770 he published Elements of Algebra for the use of Students in Universities which was his most famous opera and became a very popular book Trail is also well known by a biography of Robert Simson published in 1812.
As biography it is not well-regarded, though it does give a lot of first-hand information about Simson and his geometrical studies.