Fritz Ursell
Encyclopedia
Fritz Joseph Ursell FRS (born 1923, Düsseldorf
) 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 and retired in 1990. He is currently emeritus professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Manchester.
Ursell came to England
as a refugee in 1937 from Germany
. From 1941 to 1943 he studied at Cambridge University, graduating with a bachelor degree in mathematics. At the end of 1943 he joined the Admiralty (British Navy Department) as a part of a team—headed by George Deacon
—whose task is to formulate rules for forecasting waves for the allied landings in Japan
. Their findings have become the basis of modern wave-forecasting. Ursell stayed in the Admiralty until 1947. In 1947 he was appointed to a post-doctoral fellowship in applied mathematics
at Manchester University without a doctorate
. In 1950 he returned to Cambridge as a lecturer
. There he met G. I. Taylor. In 1957 he spent a year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, having been invited by Arthur Ippen. In 1961 Ursell moved back to Manchester.
Ursell has an Erdős number
of 3.
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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....
noted for his contributions to fluid mechanics
Fluid mechanics
Fluid mechanics is the study of fluids and the forces on them. Fluid mechanics can be divided into fluid statics, the study of fluids at rest; fluid kinematics, the study of fluids in motion; and fluid dynamics, the study of the effect of forces on fluid motion...
, especially in the area of wave-structure interactions. He held the Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics
Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics
The Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics is an endowed professorial position in the School of Mathematics, University of Manchester, England. The endowment came from the engineer Charles Frederick Beyer, a generous supporter of the University....
at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
from 1961–1990, was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1972 and retired in 1990. He is currently emeritus professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Manchester.
Ursell came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as a refugee in 1937 from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. From 1941 to 1943 he studied at Cambridge University, graduating with a bachelor degree in mathematics. At the end of 1943 he joined the Admiralty (British Navy Department) as a part of a team—headed by George Deacon
George Deacon
Sir George Edward Raven Deacon was a British oceanographer and chemist.He was born in Leicester, the son of George Raven and Emma Deacon and educated at the Newarke school, Leicester...
—whose task is to formulate rules for forecasting waves for the allied landings in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Their findings have become the basis of modern wave-forecasting. Ursell stayed in the Admiralty until 1947. In 1947 he was appointed to a post-doctoral fellowship in applied mathematics
at Manchester University without a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
. In 1950 he returned to Cambridge as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
. There he met G. I. Taylor. In 1957 he spent a year at 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...
, having been invited by Arthur Ippen. In 1961 Ursell moved back to Manchester.
Ursell has an Erdős number
Erdos number
The Erdős number describes the "collaborative distance" between a person and mathematician Paul Erdős, as measured by authorship of mathematical papers.The same principle has been proposed for other eminent persons in other fields.- Overview :...
of 3.
See also
- Ursell numberUrsell numberIn fluid dynamics, the Ursell number indicates the nonlinearity of long surface gravity waves on a fluid layer. This dimensionless parameter is named after Fritz Ursell, who discussed its significance in 1953....
— nonlinearity parameter for surface gravity wavesOcean surface waveIn fluid dynamics, wind waves or, more precisely, wind-generated waves are surface waves that occur on the free surface of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and canals or even on small puddles and ponds. They usually result from the wind blowing over a vast enough stretch of fluid surface. Waves in the...
in shallow water.