Francis B. Hildebrand
Encyclopedia
Francis Begnaud Hildebrand (1915 – 29 November 2002) was an American
mathematician
. He was a Professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) from 1940 until 1984. Hildebrand was known for his many influential textbooks in mathematics and numerical analysis
.
, both in mathematics. He then received his Ph.D. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940 under the supervision of Prescott Durand Crout. He also received an honorary doctorate from Washington and Jefferson College in 1969.
At MIT, he taught 18.075 and 18.076, the classes on advanced calculus for engineering students. The big green textbook from these classes (originally Advanced Calculus for Engineers, later Advanced Calculus for Applications) was a fixture in engineer's offices for decades.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. He was a Professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) from 1940 until 1984. Hildebrand was known for his many influential textbooks in mathematics and numerical analysis
Numerical analysis
Numerical analysis is the study of algorithms that use numerical approximation for the problems of mathematical analysis ....
.
Education and career
Hildebrand received his bachelor's degree in 1936 and a Master's degree in 1938 from Washington & Jefferson CollegeWashington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
, both in mathematics. He then received his Ph.D. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940 under the supervision of Prescott Durand Crout. He also received an honorary doctorate from Washington and Jefferson College in 1969.
At MIT, he taught 18.075 and 18.076, the classes on advanced calculus for engineering students. The big green textbook from these classes (originally Advanced Calculus for Engineers, later Advanced Calculus for Applications) was a fixture in engineer's offices for decades.
Books
Hildebrand had authored many influential textbooks in mathematics, including- Advanced Calculus for Engineers, Prentice HallPrentice HallPrentice Hall is a major educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher-education market. Prentice Hall distributes its technical titles through the Safari...
, 1948. - Methods of Applied Mathematics, Prentice Hall, 1952.
- Advanced Calculus for Applications, Prentice Hall, 1964.
- Introduction to Numerical Analysis, 2 ed., Dover PublicationsDover PublicationsDover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be...
, 1987 ISBN 0486653633 (First edition in 1956).