Henri Daniel Rathgeber
Encyclopedia
Henri Daniel Rathgeber was an Australian physicist who studied cosmic rays but considered his most important contribution to be an economic theory that explain how entropy
causes unemployment
.
Rathgeber was born in Paris, Montmartre on 11 June 1908. His father, Daniel Rathgeber was German, working for Robert Bosch GmbH
, and his mother Hortense Desmousseaux was French. Just before the outbreak of first world war, he moved to Bad Dürkheim
with his French mother, while his father served in the German army. From 1919-1924 he lived in Geneva, Switzerland and went to school at the College. In 1934 he completed an undergraduate degree at the Technische Hochschule in Stuttgart and in 1938 completed his doctorate in physics. During this period the physics department was very active at the Technische Hochschule, with teachers such as Erwin Schrödinger
, Erich Regener
and Paul Peter Ewald
.
Rathgeber played an important part in Erich Regener's balloon experiments, as he was the only student at that time who owned a car, and was therefore asked to collect the balloons and measuring apparatus, which could travel up to a distance of 200 km from Stuttgart. Professor Erich Regener's family lived in an apartment directly above the physics lecture room, and Rathgeber was struck by a tall, elegant young woman who would often be seen using the staircase. This was Erich Regener's daughter, Erika, who Rathgeber married on the 2 August 1932.
Rathgeber was heavily influenced by the economic ideas of Silvio Gesell
which were popular in Germany at the time. In 1938 Rathgeber emigrated to Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two children to take up a position with Pyrox Pty Ltd developing gas water heaters and diesel injection pumps and nozzles. During the war he worked as a part time research physicist with the Optical Munitions Panel. In 1940 he obtained the Thomas Lyle fellowship in physics at the University of Melbourne
. In 1952 he shared the David Syme Research Prize
and was asked by Harry Messel to take up a position as a reader at the University of Sydney
.
Rathgeber retired in 1973 and in retirement returned to his earlier interest in economics and its connection with physics and in particular entropy and control system design. In 1974 he developed a theory explaining how random noise in the form of an error rate, as defined in Claude Shannon's information theory
causes an inverse linear relationship between unemployment and inflation, but at the time such ideas were not taken seriously. Rathgeber continued to write various unpublished papers about his theory. He died in Sydney in 1995.
Entropy
Entropy is a thermodynamic property that can be used to determine the energy available for useful work in a thermodynamic process, such as in energy conversion devices, engines, or machines. Such devices can only be driven by convertible energy, and have a theoretical maximum efficiency when...
causes unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
.
Rathgeber was born in Paris, Montmartre on 11 June 1908. His father, Daniel Rathgeber was German, working for Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
, and his mother Hortense Desmousseaux was French. Just before the outbreak of first world war, he moved to Bad Dürkheim
Bad Dürkheim
Bad Dürkheim is a spa town in the Rhine-Neckar urban agglomeration, and is the seat of the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
with his French mother, while his father served in the German army. From 1919-1924 he lived in Geneva, Switzerland and went to school at the College. In 1934 he completed an undergraduate degree at the Technische Hochschule in Stuttgart and in 1938 completed his doctorate in physics. During this period the physics department was very active at the Technische Hochschule, with teachers such as Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger was an Austrian physicist and theoretical biologist who was one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, and is famed for a number of important contributions to physics, especially the Schrödinger equation, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933...
, Erich Regener
Erich Regener
Erich Rudolf Alexander Regener was a German physicist known primarily for the design and construction of instruments to measure cosmic ray intensity at various altitudes....
and Paul Peter Ewald
Paul Peter Ewald
Paul Peter Ewald was a German-born U.S. crystallographer and physicist, a pioneer of X-ray diffraction methods.-Education:...
.
Rathgeber played an important part in Erich Regener's balloon experiments, as he was the only student at that time who owned a car, and was therefore asked to collect the balloons and measuring apparatus, which could travel up to a distance of 200 km from Stuttgart. Professor Erich Regener's family lived in an apartment directly above the physics lecture room, and Rathgeber was struck by a tall, elegant young woman who would often be seen using the staircase. This was Erich Regener's daughter, Erika, who Rathgeber married on the 2 August 1932.
Rathgeber was heavily influenced by the economic ideas of Silvio Gesell
Silvio Gesell
Silvio Gesell was a German merchant, theoretical economist, social activist, anarchist and founder of Freiwirtschaft.-Life:...
which were popular in Germany at the time. In 1938 Rathgeber emigrated to Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two children to take up a position with Pyrox Pty Ltd developing gas water heaters and diesel injection pumps and nozzles. During the war he worked as a part time research physicist with the Optical Munitions Panel. In 1940 he obtained the Thomas Lyle fellowship in physics at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. In 1952 he shared the David Syme Research Prize
David Syme Research Prize
The David Syme Research Prize is an annual award administered by the University of Melbourne for the best original research work in biology, physics, chemistry or geology, produced in Australia during the preceding two years, particular preference is given to original research to enhance industrial...
and was asked by Harry Messel to take up a position as a reader at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
.
Rathgeber retired in 1973 and in retirement returned to his earlier interest in economics and its connection with physics and in particular entropy and control system design. In 1974 he developed a theory explaining how random noise in the form of an error rate, as defined in Claude Shannon's information theory
Information theory
Information theory is a branch of applied mathematics and electrical engineering involving the quantification of information. Information theory was developed by Claude E. Shannon to find fundamental limits on signal processing operations such as compressing data and on reliably storing and...
causes an inverse linear relationship between unemployment and inflation, but at the time such ideas were not taken seriously. Rathgeber continued to write various unpublished papers about his theory. He died in Sydney in 1995.