Burton Wendroff
Encyclopedia
Burton Wendroff is an American
applied mathematician and an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico
. He is also a retired Fellow and Associate at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
. He is known for his contributions to the development of numerical methods for the solution of hyperbolic partial differential equation
s. The Lax–Wendroff method
for the solution of hyperbolic PDE was named after Peter Lax
and him.
Together with co-author Tony Warnock, Burton Wendroff is primary author of the Chess program Lachex, which competed at two World Computer Chess Championships at Cologne (1986) and Madrid (1992).
in 1951 and M.S. degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1952. After his M.S., Burt joined Los Alamos National Laboratory
as a Staff Member. While at Los Alamos, he went to New York University to do his Ph.D. and received the degree under the supervision of Peter Lax
in 1958. The title of his Ph.D. thesis was "Finite Difference Approximations to the Solutions of Partial Differential Equations". During 1966 to 1973, he served as a professor at the University of Denver
.
His primary area of research involves the development of numerical schemes for hyperbolic partial differential equation
s using finite difference method
. Together with Peter Lax, he has developed the now classical Lax–Wendroff method
. He has developed two-dimensional HLLE Riemann solver
and associated Godunov-type difference scheme
for gas dynamics
problems. Wendroff has also made contribution to the early development of convergence study of finite element method
.
for his "contributions to the numerical solution of partial differential equation
s".
Articles
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
applied mathematician and an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
. He is also a retired Fellow and Associate at the 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...
. He is known for his contributions to the development of numerical methods for the solution of hyperbolic partial differential equation
Hyperbolic partial differential equation
In mathematics, a hyperbolic partial differential equation of order n is a partial differential equation that, roughly speaking, has a well-posed initial value problem for the first n−1 derivatives. More precisely, the Cauchy problem can be locally solved for arbitrary initial data along...
s. The Lax–Wendroff method
Lax–Wendroff method
The Lax–Wendroff method, named after Peter Lax and Burton Wendroff, is a numerical method for the solution of hyperbolic partial differential equations, based on finite differences...
for the solution of hyperbolic PDE was named after 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...
and him.
Together with co-author Tony Warnock, Burton Wendroff is primary author of the Chess program Lachex, which competed at two World Computer Chess Championships at Cologne (1986) and Madrid (1992).
Career and research
Wendroff received his B.A. degree in mathematics and physics from the New York UniversityNew 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 1951 and M.S. degree in mathematics 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 1952. After his M.S., Burt joined 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...
as a Staff Member. While at Los Alamos, he went to New York University to do his Ph.D. and received the degree under the supervision of 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...
in 1958. The title of his Ph.D. thesis was "Finite Difference Approximations to the Solutions of Partial Differential Equations". During 1966 to 1973, he served as a professor at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
.
His primary area of research involves the development of numerical schemes for hyperbolic partial differential equation
Hyperbolic partial differential equation
In mathematics, a hyperbolic partial differential equation of order n is a partial differential equation that, roughly speaking, has a well-posed initial value problem for the first n−1 derivatives. More precisely, the Cauchy problem can be locally solved for arbitrary initial data along...
s using finite difference method
Finite difference method
In mathematics, finite-difference methods are numerical methods for approximating the solutions to differential equations using finite difference equations to approximate derivatives.- Derivation from Taylor's polynomial :...
. Together with Peter Lax, he has developed the now classical Lax–Wendroff method
Lax–Wendroff method
The Lax–Wendroff method, named after Peter Lax and Burton Wendroff, is a numerical method for the solution of hyperbolic partial differential equations, based on finite differences...
. He has developed two-dimensional HLLE Riemann solver
Riemann solver
A Riemann solver is a numerical method used to solve a Riemann problem. They are heavily used in computational fluid dynamics and computational magnetohydrodynamics.-Exact solvers:...
and associated Godunov-type difference scheme
Godunov's scheme
In numerical analysis and computational fluid dynamics, Godunov's scheme is a conservative numerical scheme, suggested by S. K. Godunov in 1959, for solving partial differential equations...
for gas dynamics
Gas dynamics
Gas dynamics is a branch of fluid dynamics concerned with studying the motion of gases and its consequent effects. Gas dynamics combines the principles of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics...
problems. Wendroff has also made contribution to the early development of convergence study of finite element method
Finite element method
The finite element method is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of partial differential equations as well as integral equations...
.
Awards and honors
Wendroff was elected as SIAM Fellow of Society for Industrial and Applied MathematicsSociety for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics was founded by a small group of mathematicians from academia and industry who met in Philadelphia in 1951 to start an organization whose members would meet periodically to exchange ideas about the uses of mathematics in industry. This meeting led...
for his "contributions to the numerical solution of partial differential equation
Partial differential equation
In mathematics, partial differential equations are a type of differential equation, i.e., a relation involving an unknown function of several independent variables and their partial derivatives with respect to those variables...
s".
Selected publications
Books- Theoretical Numerical Analysis, Academic PressAcademic PressAcademic Press is an academic book publisher. Originally independent, it was acquired by Harcourt, Brace & World in 1969. Reed Elsevier bought Harcourt in 2000, and Academic Press is now an imprint of Elsevier....
, 1966. - The Theory and Practice of Computation, Addison-Wesley, 1966.
Articles