Ferdinand Freudenstein
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Freudenstein is an American
physicist
and engineer
who is considered to be the "Father of Modern Kinematics." Freudenstein made revolutionary contribution applying digital computation to the kinematic synthesis of mechanisms. In his Ph.D dissertation, Freudenstein developed what is to become the Freudenstein Equation, which uses a simple algebraic method to determine the position of an output lever in a linkage mechanism
.
Freudenstein spent his entire career working and teaching in Columbia University
as the Higgins Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Over his life-time, Freudenstein mentored over 500 Ph.D. students in hundreds of universities across the world.
, Germany
. He was the son of a successful merchant George Freudenstein and Charlotte Rosenberg. At the age of ten, Freudenstein with his parents and two sisters fled Nazi Germany
for refuge in Holland.
In the spring of 1937, Freudenstein moved to England
after having spent six months in the city of Amsterdam
. In England, he joined his brother and studied in London
. During Hitler's blitzkrieg
, Freudenstein temporarily moved to Cambridge
, England, for safety, and then spent several years in Llandudno
, North Wales
. Meanwhile, his father and brother were sent to exile in Australia
by the British government which regarded all adult male German citizens as enemy of the state.
In 1942, when he was 16 years old, Ferdinand with his mother and two sisters sailed from England to Trinidad
where they remained for six weeks before moving permanently to the United States
.
in 1942, Freudenstein enrolled in New York University
, studying two years before joining the US Army. After the army, he used the financial assistance granted by the GI Bill to study at Harvard University
, where he earned his M.S. in mechanical engineering in 1948.
After receiving his M.S., Freudenstein worked as a development engineer for the American Optical Company in Buffalo, New York
. After two years, Freudenstein decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Columbia University
under the supervision of H. Dean Baker.
While working as a faculty at Columbia, Freudenstein also consulted for Bell Telephone Laboratories, IBM
, and General Motors
. His many consultations were later made into open publications.
As a professor, Freudenstein had over 500 Ph.D. students including current Stanford professor of mechanical engineering Bernard Roth and engineer George Sandor. His teaching became so influential across the world that a Freudenstein Academic Tree was created in his honor. Freudenstin's prominence in the field of kinematics of mechanisms inspired the publication of Modern Kinematics: Developments in the Last Forty Years, written during the celebration of his 65th birthday.
in 1979. He is an honorary fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
.He is also a Guggenheim Fellow and a recipient of the Egleston Medal conferred by Columbia University. Freudenstein had served on the advisor panels of the National Science Foundation
and the United States Army Research Laboratory.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who is considered to be the "Father of Modern Kinematics." Freudenstein made revolutionary contribution applying digital computation to the kinematic synthesis of mechanisms. In his Ph.D dissertation, Freudenstein developed what is to become the Freudenstein Equation, which uses a simple algebraic method to determine the position of an output lever in a linkage mechanism
Linkage (mechanical)
A mechanical linkage is an assembly of bodies connected together to manage forces and movement. The movement of a body, or link, is studied using geometry so the link is considered to be rigid. The connections between links are modeled as providing ideal movement, pure rotation or sliding for...
.
Freudenstein spent his entire career working and teaching in Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
as the Higgins Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Over his life-time, Freudenstein mentored over 500 Ph.D. students in hundreds of universities across the world.
Early life
Ferdinand Freudenstein was born into a Jewish family, on May 12, 1926, in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, 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...
. He was the son of a successful merchant George Freudenstein and Charlotte Rosenberg. At the age of ten, Freudenstein with his parents and two sisters fled Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
for refuge in Holland.
In the spring of 1937, Freudenstein moved 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...
after having spent six months in the city of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. In England, he joined his brother and studied in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. During Hitler's blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
, Freudenstein temporarily moved to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England, for safety, and then spent several years in Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. Meanwhile, his father and brother were sent to exile in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by the British government which regarded all adult male German citizens as enemy of the state.
In 1942, when he was 16 years old, Ferdinand with his mother and two sisters sailed from England to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
where they remained for six weeks before moving permanently to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Education
Arriving in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1942, Freudenstein enrolled in 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...
, studying two years before joining the US Army. After the army, he used the financial assistance granted by the GI Bill to study at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he earned his M.S. in mechanical engineering in 1948.
After receiving his M.S., Freudenstein worked as a development engineer for the American Optical Company in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. After two years, Freudenstein decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
under the supervision of H. Dean Baker.
Career
In 1954, Freudenstein was appointed as the associate professor of mechanical engineering in Columbia. Then in 1958, he was promoted to the chair of the university's Department of Mechanical Engineering and then full-ranking professor in 1959. Under his leadership, Columbia attracted numerous academics including mathematician Oenne Bottema and British mathematician Eric Primrose. In 1985, Freudenstein became Columbia's Higgins Professor of Mechanical Engineering, a position which he held until his death.While working as a faculty at Columbia, Freudenstein also consulted for Bell Telephone Laboratories, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, and General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. His many consultations were later made into open publications.
As a professor, Freudenstein had over 500 Ph.D. students including current Stanford professor of mechanical engineering Bernard Roth and engineer George Sandor. His teaching became so influential across the world that a Freudenstein Academic Tree was created in his honor. Freudenstin's prominence in the field of kinematics of mechanisms inspired the publication of Modern Kinematics: Developments in the Last Forty Years, written during the celebration of his 65th birthday.
Awards and recognition
Freudenstein was elected member of the National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
in 1979. He is an honorary fellow of 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....
.He is also a Guggenheim Fellow and a recipient of the Egleston Medal conferred by Columbia University. Freudenstein had served on the advisor panels of the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
and the United States Army Research Laboratory.
See also
- Mechanical engineeringMechanical engineeringMechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
- Ivy LeagueIvy LeagueThe Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
- National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
- Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...