Waloddi Weibull
Encyclopedia
Ernst Hjalmar Waloddi Weibull (18 June 1887-12 October 1979 in Annecy
, France
) was a Swedish
engineer, scientist, and mathematician.
Weibull came from a family that had strong ties to Scania
. He was a cousin of the historian brothers Lauritz
, Carl Gustaf and Curt Weibull
, of whom especially the first is noteworthy for introducing a stricter criticism in the interpretation of medieval Scandinavian sources.
He joined the Swedish Coast Guard
in 1904 as a midshipman. Weibull moved up the ranks with promotion to sublieutenant in 1907, Captain
in 1916 and Major
in 1940. While in the coast guard he took courses at the Royal Institute of Technology
. In 1924 he graduated and became a full professor. Weibull obtained his doctorate
from the University of Uppsala in 1932. He was employed in Swedish and German
industry as a consulting engineer.
In 1914, while on expeditions to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean
and the Pacific Ocean on the research ship "Albatross", Weibull wrote his first paper on the propagation of explosive waves. He developed the technique of using explosive charges to determine the type of ocean bottom sediments and their thickness. The same technique is still used today in offshore oil exploration
.
In 1939 he published his paper on Weibull distribution in probability theory and statistics. In 1941 he received a personal research professorship in Technical Physics
at the Royal Institute of Technology
in Stockholm
from the arms producer Bofors
.
Weibull published many papers on strength of materials
, fatigue
, rupture in solids, bearings, and of course, the Weibull distribution, as well as one book on fatigue analysis (1) in 1961. Twenty seven of these papers were reports to the US Air Force at Wright Field
on Weibull analysis.
In 1951 he presented his most famous paper to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) on Weibull distribution, using seven case studies.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded Dr. Weibull their gold medal in 1972. The Great Gold medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences
was personally presented to him by King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
in 1978.
Weibull died on October 12, 1979 in Annecy
, France
.
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) was a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
engineer, scientist, and mathematician.
Weibull came from a family that had strong ties to Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
. He was a cousin of the historian brothers Lauritz
Lauritz Weibull
Lauritz Ulrik Absalon Weibull was a Swedish historian.He was born in Lund, son of history professor Martin Weibull and the brother of Curt Weibull and Carl Gustaf Weibull, enrolled at the University of Lund in 1892, completed his B.A. 1892, his licentiate degree in 1899 and defended his...
, Carl Gustaf and Curt Weibull
Curt Weibull
Curt Weibull was a Swedish historian, educator and author.-Biography:Curt Hugo Johannes Weibull was born in Lund, Sweden. He was a member of the noted Swedish Weibull family. He was the son of history professor Martin Weibull and the brother of Lauritz Weibull, Alexander Weibull, Julius Oscar...
, of whom especially the first is noteworthy for introducing a stricter criticism in the interpretation of medieval Scandinavian sources.
He joined the Swedish Coast Guard
Swedish Coast Guard
The Swedish Coast Guard is a Swedish civilian government agency tasked with:* maritime surveillance and other control and inspection tasks as well as environmental cleanup after oil spills at sea....
in 1904 as a midshipman. Weibull moved up the ranks with promotion to sublieutenant in 1907, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in 1916 and Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1940. While in the coast guard he took courses at the Royal Institute of Technology
Royal Institute of Technology
The Royal Institute of Technology is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH was founded in 1827 as Sweden's first polytechnic and is one of Scandinavia's largest institutions of higher education in technology. KTH accounts for one-third of Sweden’s technical research and engineering education...
. In 1924 he graduated and became a full professor. Weibull obtained his 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...
from the University of Uppsala in 1932. He was employed in Swedish and German
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...
industry as a consulting engineer.
In 1914, while on expeditions to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and the Pacific Ocean on the research ship "Albatross", Weibull wrote his first paper on the propagation of explosive waves. He developed the technique of using explosive charges to determine the type of ocean bottom sediments and their thickness. The same technique is still used today in offshore oil exploration
Oil exploration
Hydrocarbon exploration is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earth's surface, such as oil and natural gas...
.
In 1939 he published his paper on Weibull distribution in probability theory and statistics. In 1941 he received a personal research professorship in Technical 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 Royal Institute of Technology
Royal Institute of Technology
The Royal Institute of Technology is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH was founded in 1827 as Sweden's first polytechnic and is one of Scandinavia's largest institutions of higher education in technology. KTH accounts for one-third of Sweden’s technical research and engineering education...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
from the arms producer Bofors
Bofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
.
Weibull published many papers on strength of materials
Strength of materials
In materials science, the strength of a material is its ability to withstand an applied stress without failure. The applied stress may be tensile, compressive, or shear. Strength of materials is a subject which deals with loads, deformations and the forces acting on a material. A load applied to a...
, fatigue
Fatigue (material)
'In materials science, fatigue is the progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loading. The nominal maximum stress values are less than the ultimate tensile stress limit, and may be below the yield stress limit of the material.Fatigue occurs...
, rupture in solids, bearings, and of course, the Weibull distribution, as well as one book on fatigue analysis (1) in 1961. Twenty seven of these papers were reports to the US Air Force at Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
on Weibull analysis.
In 1951 he presented his most famous paper to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
(ASME) on Weibull distribution, using seven case studies.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded Dr. Weibull their gold medal in 1972. The Great Gold medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences or Kungl. Ingenjörsvetenskapsakademien , founded in 1919 by King Gustaf V, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
was personally presented to him by King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
in 1978.
Weibull died on October 12, 1979 in Annecy
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
