Ernie Tuck
Encyclopedia
Professor Ernest Oliver Tuck BSc (Hons)(Adel), PhD (Camb), FAA, FTSE, FACS, FAustMS was an Australian applied mathematician, notable for his sustained work in ship
hydrodynamics, and for Tuck's incompressibility function.
. In 1960, he studied with Fritz Ursell
at Cambridge University for his PhD. His PhD thesis was on the application of slender-body theory
to ships. In it, he made a revolutionary approach of using matched asymptotic expansions
in order to predict the wave resistance
of a slender ship.
at the David Taylor Model Basin
, and subsequently with Ted Wu at Caltech. He worked on topics related to ship hydrodynamics, acoustics
, bio-fluid mechanics, and numerical analysis
. Tuck returned to Adelaide University in 1968 as a Reader
in Applied Mathematics, and was subsequently appointed the Elder Professor of Applied Mathematics. From 1984 to 1992 he served as Editor of Series B (Applied Mathematics) of the Journal of the Australian Mathematical Society. In 1992 he established TeXAdel, an organization responsible for automating the production of the AMS journals
. He served as President of the IUTAM Congress in 2008. He has been a Visiting Professor at Caltech, Stanford
, the University of Michigan, and MIT. Apart from applied mathematics, in his later years he also worked on problems in pure mathematics
related to Riemann hypothesis
and properties of the zeta function.
, and other games of chance.
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
hydrodynamics, and for Tuck's incompressibility function.
Early life and education
Tuck was born on 1 June 1939 in Adelaide, South Australia. He studied Applied Mathematics for his undergraduate degree at the University of Adelaide, where his principal mentor was Professor R. B. PottsRenfrey Potts
Professor Renfrey Burnard Potts AO, , BSc , D Phil , DSc , FAA, FTSE, FACS, FAustMS, was an Australian mathematician and is notable for the Potts model and his achievements in: operations research, especially networks; transportation science, car-following and road traffic; Ising-type models in...
. In 1960, he studied with Fritz Ursell
Fritz Ursell
Fritz Joseph Ursell FRS is a British mathematician noted for his contributions to fluid mechanics, especially in the area of wave-structure interactions. He held the Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics at the University of Manchester from 1961–1990, was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1972...
at Cambridge University for his PhD. His PhD thesis was on the application of slender-body theory
Slender-body theory
In fluid dynamics and electrostatics, slender-body theory is a methodology that can be used to take advantage of the slenderness of a body to obtain an approximation to a field surrounding it and/or the net effect of the field on the body...
to ships. In it, he made a revolutionary approach of using matched asymptotic expansions
Method of matched asymptotic expansions
In mathematics, particularly in solving singularly perturbed differential equations, the method of matched asymptotic expansions is a common approach to finding an accurate approximation to a problem's solution.-Method overview:...
in order to predict the wave resistance
Wave making resistance
Wave making resistance is a form of drag that affects surface watercraft, such as boats and ships, and reflects the energy required to push the water out of the way of the hull. This energy goes into creating the wake.-Physics:...
of a slender ship.
Career
In 1963 Tuck went to the United States to work with Francis Ogilvie and John Nicholas NewmanJohn Nicholas Newman
John Nicholas Newman is an American applied mathematician noted for his contributions to marine hydrodynamics. Together with David Evans, he initiated the International Workshop on Water Waves and Floating Bodies. He is also known for his contribution in the development of the wave-structure...
at the David Taylor Model Basin
David Taylor Model Basin
The David Taylor Model Basin is one of the largest ship model basins — test facilities for the development of ship design — in the world...
, and subsequently with Ted Wu at Caltech. He worked on topics related to ship hydrodynamics, acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
, bio-fluid mechanics, and numerical analysis
Numerical analysis
Numerical analysis is the study of algorithms that use numerical approximation for the problems of mathematical analysis ....
. Tuck returned to Adelaide University in 1968 as a Reader
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
in Applied Mathematics, and was subsequently appointed the Elder Professor of Applied Mathematics. From 1984 to 1992 he served as Editor of Series B (Applied Mathematics) of the Journal of the Australian Mathematical Society. In 1992 he established TeXAdel, an organization responsible for automating the production of the AMS journals
Journal of the American Mathematical Society
The Journal of the American Mathematical Society , is a quarterly, peer reviewed, mathematical journal published by the American Mathematical Society. The editors are Weinan E, Sergey Fomin, Gregory Lawler, John W. Morgan, Karl Rubin, and Terence Tao...
. He served as President of the IUTAM Congress in 2008. He has been a Visiting Professor at Caltech, Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, the University of Michigan, and MIT. Apart from applied mathematics, in his later years he also worked on problems in pure mathematics
Pure mathematics
Broadly speaking, pure mathematics is mathematics which studies entirely abstract concepts. From the eighteenth century onwards, this was a recognized category of mathematical activity, sometimes characterized as speculative mathematics, and at variance with the trend towards meeting the needs of...
related to Riemann hypothesis
Riemann hypothesis
In mathematics, the Riemann hypothesis, proposed by , is a conjecture about the location of the zeros of the Riemann zeta function which states that all non-trivial zeros have real part 1/2...
and properties of the zeta function.
Summary
- 1939 Born: 1 June 1939 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- 1960 University of AdelaideUniversity of AdelaideThe University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Mathematics - 1963 D Phil (Cambridge) Dissertation: "The steady motion of a slender ship"
- 1959 Awarded the Sir John Gellibrand Scholarship
- 1988 Elected as Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
- 1990 Awarded the George Weinblum Lectureship
- 1995 Elected as Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
- 1999 Awarded the Thomas Ranken Lyle MedalThomas Ranken Lyle MedalThe Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal is awarded at most every two years by the Australian Academy of Science to a mathematician or physicist for his or her outstanding research accomplishments. It is named after Thomas Ranken Lyle, an Irish mathematical physicist who became a professor at the University of...
Publications
He published over 180 papers covering a wide range of topics in:- shipShipSince the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
hydrodynamics, - aerodynamicsAerodynamicsAerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
, - hydraulicsHydraulicsHydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
, - bio-fluid dynamics,
- and games theory.
Notable students
Peter Taylor (PhD 1972), Max Haselgrove (PhD 1974), Lyn Martin (MSc 1975), Jean-Marc Vanden-Broeck (PhD 1978), Charles Macaskill (PhD 1978), Arye Helfgott (PhD 1978), Elizabeth Casling (PhD 1979), Graeme King (PhD 1979), Larry Forbes (PhD 1981), Graeme Hocking (PhD 1986), David Standingford (PhD 1997), Yvonne Stokes (PhD 1998), David Scullen (PhD 1998), Michael Haese (PhD 2003), Anna Dostovalova (PhD 2003), Nathaniel Jewell (Hons 2001), Leo Lazauskas (MSc 2005, PhD 2009)Personal
Survived by wife Helen (née Wood), two sons Warren and Geoff, and 5 grandchildren. He and his wife shared a strong interest in backgammonBackgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits...
, and other games of chance.
External links
- Home Page at University of Adelaide
- "Obituary" at the School of Mathematical Sciences of the University of Adelaide
- "Ernest Oliver Tuck", Biography at the IWWWFB website