Robert D. Richtmyer
Encyclopedia
Robert Davis Richtmyer was an American physicist, mathematician, educator, author, and musician.
.
His father was physicist Floyd K. Richtmyer
(1881–1939) and mother was Bernice Davis Richtmyer.
He studied physics
at the University of Göttingen and Cornell University
, graduating in 1932 when he father was dean of the graduate school.
He received a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1935 under advisor John C. Slater
.
He taught at Stanford University
as an instructor in the physics department from 1936 through 1940.
During World War II
he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory
, and became the leader of the theoretical division after the war.
A letter sent March 11, 1947, from John von Neumann
to Richtmyer outlined a technique for approximating complex problems being studied at Los Alamos by Stanisław Ulam. Richtmyer used the massive IBM SSEC calculator for some of the first large-scale uses of what would be called the Monte Carlo method
.
In 1953 Richtmyer joined the faculty of Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
at New York University
.
In 1956 he published a paper with Peter Lax
proving the Lax–Richtmyer equivalence theorem
.
It is sometimes called the fundamental theorem of numerical analysis
.
Starting in 1964, he taught mathematics
and physics
at the University of Colorado at Boulder
until his retirement in the early 1980s.
He was the author of textbooks including Principles of Advanced Mathematical Physics in 1978.
In 1990 he was awarded the Leroy P. Steele Prize from the American Mathematical Society
for his book Difference Methods for Initial-Value Problems.
He also played violin
with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
.
Richtmyer died on September 24, 2003 in Gardner, Colorado
.
He was survived by daughters Anna Degen and Roberta Cookingham. An adopted son, Haile Michael Mezghebe (born 1948), is a physician at the George Washington University Medical Center who helped start the first postgraduate medical education program in his native Eritrea
.
Biography
Richtmyer was born on October 10, 1910 in Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
.
His father was physicist Floyd K. Richtmyer
Floyd K. Richtmyer
Floyd Karker Richtmyer was a physicist and educator in the United States.-Biography:Richtmyer was born October 12, 1881, in the rural community of Cobleskill, New York....
(1881–1939) and mother was Bernice Davis Richtmyer.
He studied physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the University of Göttingen and Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, graduating in 1932 when he father was dean of the graduate school.
He received a Ph.D. from 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...
in 1935 under advisor John C. Slater
John C. Slater
John Clarke Slater was a noted American physicist who made major contributions to the theory of the electronic structure of atoms, molecules and solids. This work is of ongoing importance in chemistry, as well as in many areas of physics. He also made major contributions to microwave electronics....
.
He taught at Stanford University
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...
as an instructor in the physics department from 1936 through 1940.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
, and became the leader of the theoretical division after the war.
A letter sent March 11, 1947, from John von Neumann
John von Neumann
John von Neumann was a Hungarian-American mathematician and polymath who made major contributions to a vast number of fields, including set theory, functional analysis, quantum mechanics, ergodic theory, geometry, fluid dynamics, economics and game theory, computer science, numerical analysis,...
to Richtmyer outlined a technique for approximating complex problems being studied at Los Alamos by Stanisław Ulam. Richtmyer used the massive IBM SSEC calculator for some of the first large-scale uses of what would be called the Monte Carlo method
Monte Carlo method
Monte Carlo methods are a class of computational algorithms that rely on repeated random sampling to compute their results. Monte Carlo methods are often used in computer simulations of physical and mathematical systems...
.
In 1953 Richtmyer joined the faculty of Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences is an independent division of New York University under the Faculty of Arts & Science that serves as a center for research and advanced training in computer science and mathematics...
at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
In 1956 he published a paper with Peter Lax
Peter Lax
Peter David Lax is a mathematician working in the areas of pure and applied mathematics. He has made important contributions to integrable systems, fluid dynamics and shock waves, solitonic physics, hyperbolic conservation laws, and mathematical and scientific computing, among other fields...
proving the Lax–Richtmyer equivalence theorem
Lax equivalence theorem
In numerical analysis, the Lax equivalence theorem is the fundamental theorem in the analysis of finite difference methods for the numerical solution of partial differential equations...
.
It is sometimes called the fundamental theorem of numerical analysis
Numerical analysis
Numerical analysis is the study of algorithms that use numerical approximation for the problems of mathematical analysis ....
.
Starting in 1964, he taught mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
until his retirement in the early 1980s.
He was the author of textbooks including Principles of Advanced Mathematical Physics in 1978.
In 1990 he was awarded the Leroy P. Steele Prize from the American Mathematical Society
American Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
for his book Difference Methods for Initial-Value Problems.
He also played violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
Boulder philharmonic orchestra
The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1958, is a fully professional orchestra based in Boulder, Colorado. It is the successor to the Civic Symphony Orchestra, and it is directed by Michael Butterman...
.
Richtmyer died on September 24, 2003 in Gardner, Colorado
Gardner, Colorado
Gardner is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The Gardner Post Office has the ZIP Code 81040.-External links:* *...
.
He was survived by daughters Anna Degen and Roberta Cookingham. An adopted son, Haile Michael Mezghebe (born 1948), is a physician at the George Washington University Medical Center who helped start the first postgraduate medical education program in his native Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
.
Works
- J. VonNeumann, R. D. Richtmyer (1950). A Method for the Numerical Calculation of Hydrodynamic Shocks. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 21, No. 3., pp. 232–237.(Classic article on the numerical solution of hydrodynamic problems)
- R. D. Richtmyer (1960). "Taylor instability in a shock acceleration of compressible fluids", Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics 13, 297–319. (Predicted the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability)
- R. D. Richtmyer and K. W. Morton (1967). Difference Methods for Initial-Value Problems. Second edition. Wiley-Interscience.
- R. D. Richtmyer (1967). Stability of a New Radio Flash Code. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, NM (LA-3864-MS).
- R. D. Richtmyer (1978), Principles of Advanced Mathematical Physics Vol. 1 & 2, Springer-Verlag, New York.