Clifford Truesdell
Encyclopedia
Clifford Ambrose Truesdell III (February 18, 1919 – January 14, 2000) was an American mathematician
, natural philosopher, historian of science, and polemic
ist.
, California
. After high school, he spent two years in Europe
learning French, German, and Italian, and improving his Latin and Greek. His linguistic skills stood him in good stead in his later historical investigations. At Caltech he was deeply influenced by the teaching of Harry Bateman
. In particular, a course in partial differential equation
s "taught me the difference between an ordinary good teacher and a great mathematician, and after that I never cared what grade I got in anything." He obtained a B.Sc. in mathematics and physics in 1941, and an MSc. in mathematics in 1942.
In 1943, he completed a Ph.D. in mathematics at Princeton University
. For the rest of the decade, the U.S. Navy employed him to do mechanics
research.
Truesdell taught at Indiana University
1950-61, where his students included James Serrin
, Jerald Ericksen
, and Walter Noll
. From 1961 until his retirement in 1989, Truesdell was professor of rational mechanics at Johns Hopkins University
. He and Noll contributed to foundational rational mechanics, whose aim is to construct a mathematical model for treating (continuous) mechanical phenomena.
Truesdell was the founder and editor-in-chief of the journals Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
and Archive for History of Exact Sciences, which were unusual in several ways. Following Truesdell's criticisms of awkward style in scientific writing, the journal accepted papers in English, French, German, and Latin.
In addition to his original work in mechanics, Truesdell was a major historian of science and mathematics, editing or co-editing six volumes of the collected works of Leonhard Euler
.
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....
, natural philosopher, historian of science, and polemic
Polemic
A polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...
ist.
Life
Truesdell was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. After high school, he spent two years in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
learning French, German, and Italian, and improving his Latin and Greek. His linguistic skills stood him in good stead in his later historical investigations. At Caltech he was deeply influenced by the teaching of Harry Bateman
Harry Bateman
Harry Bateman FRS was an English mathematician.-Life and work:Harry Bateman first grew to love mathematics at Manchester Grammar School, and in his final year, won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge. There he distinguished himself in 1903 as Senior Wrangler and by winning the Smith's Prize...
. In particular, a course in 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 "taught me the difference between an ordinary good teacher and a great mathematician, and after that I never cared what grade I got in anything." He obtained a B.Sc. in mathematics and physics in 1941, and an MSc. in mathematics in 1942.
In 1943, he completed a Ph.D. in mathematics at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. For the rest of the decade, the U.S. Navy employed him to do mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
research.
Truesdell taught at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
1950-61, where his students included James Serrin
James Serrin
James Serrin is a mathematician known for his contributions to continuum mechanics, nonlinear analysis, and partial differential equations.Serrin was born in Chicago on November 1, 1926. He received his doctorate from Indiana University in 1951...
, Jerald Ericksen
Jerald Ericksen
Jerald LaVerne Ericksen is an American mathematician specializing in continuum mechanics.Jerald was born 20 December 1924 in Portland, Oregon. His father Adolf worked at a Portland creamery and became adept at judging the quality of butter. Later his father acquired a small creamery in Vancouver,...
, and Walter Noll
Walter Noll
Walter Noll is a mathematician, and Professor Emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University. He is best known for developing mathematical tools of classical mechanics and thermodynamics....
. From 1961 until his retirement in 1989, Truesdell was professor of rational mechanics at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He and Noll contributed to foundational rational mechanics, whose aim is to construct a mathematical model for treating (continuous) mechanical phenomena.
Truesdell was the founder and editor-in-chief of the journals Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
The Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis is a scientific journal that is devoted to research in mechanics as a deductive, mathematical science. The current editors in chief of the journal are John M. Ball and Richard D. James...
and Archive for History of Exact Sciences, which were unusual in several ways. Following Truesdell's criticisms of awkward style in scientific writing, the journal accepted papers in English, French, German, and Latin.
In addition to his original work in mechanics, Truesdell was a major historian of science and mathematics, editing or co-editing six volumes of the collected works of Leonhard Euler
Leonhard Euler
Leonhard Euler was a pioneering Swiss mathematician and physicist. He made important discoveries in fields as diverse as infinitesimal calculus and graph theory. He also introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and notation, particularly for mathematical analysis, such as the notion...
.
Awards
- Euler MedalEuler MedalThe Euler Medal, named after the 18th century mathematician Leonhard Euler, is an honor awarded annually by the Institute of Combinatorics and its Applications to a member with a distinguished lifetime contribution to combinatorial research who are still active in research.-Laureates:* 2008: Gabor...
of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1958 and 1983; - Bingham MedalBingham MedalThe Bingham Medal is an annual award for outstanding contributions to the field of rheology. It was instituted in 1948 by the Society of Rheology, commemorating Eugene C. Bingham .-List of Award Winners:*1948 Melvin Mooney*1949 Henry Eyring...
of the Society of Rheology, 1963; - Birkhoff Prize of the American Mathematical SocietyAmerican Mathematical SocietyThe 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...
and Society for Industrial and Applied MathematicsSociety for Industrial and Applied MathematicsThe 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...
, 1978; - Theodore von Karman MedalTheodore von Karman MedalThe Theodore von Karman Medal in Engineering Mechanics is awarded annually to an individual in recognition of his distinguished achievement in engineering mechanics, applicable to any branch of civil engineering...
, 1996.
Selected writings
- An Idiot's Fugitive Essays on Science, Springer-Verlag, 1984.
- A First Course in Rational Continuum Mechanics, 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....
. - The Kinematics of Vorticity, 1954.
- Rational Thermodynamics, McGraw-HillMcGraw-HillThe McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...
. - The Elements of Continuum Mechanics, Springer-Verlag.
- The Tragicomical History of Thermodynamics, 1822-1854. ISBN 0387904034. Here is a review by Stuart Antman. Here is another by I. Grattan-Guinness.
- Great Scientists of Old As Heretics in "the Scientific Method". ISBN 0813911346.
- Classical Field Theories of Mechanics, with Toupin, vol. III/1 of Handbuch der Physik edited by Siegfried FlüggeSiegfried FlüggeSiegfried Flügge was a German theoretical physicist and made contributions to nuclear physics. He worked at the Kaiser-Wilhelm Institut für Chemie and worked in the German Uranverein...
. - "Non-linear Field Theories of Mechanics", with Walter NollWalter NollWalter Noll is a mathematician, and Professor Emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University. He is best known for developing mathematical tools of classical mechanics and thermodynamics....
, volume III/3 of Handbuch der Physik edited by Siegfried Flügge. - An Introduction to the Mechanics of Fluids, with K. R. Rajagopal, Birkhauser, Boston, 1999.
- Essays in the History in Mechanics, Springer-Verlag, 1968.
Further reading
- Ball, J.M.; and R.D. James (2002) "The Scientific Life and Influence of Clifford Ambrose Truesdell III", Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 161: 1–26..
- Special issue of the Journal of Elasticity, vol. 70(1-3), devoted to Truesdell's memory:
- Coleman, Bernard, 2003, "Memories of Clifford Truesdell", 1-13.
- Giusti, E. "Clifford Truesdell (1919–2000), Historian of Mathematics", 15-22.
- Noll, WalterWalter NollWalter Noll is a mathematician, and Professor Emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University. He is best known for developing mathematical tools of classical mechanics and thermodynamics....
. "The Genesis of Truesdell's Nonlinear Field Theories of Mechanics", 23-30. - Serrin, J. "An Appreciation of Clifford Truesdell", 31-38.
- Speiser, D. "Clifford A. Truesdell's Contributions to the Euler and the Bernoulli Edition", 39-53.