W. R. Dean
Encyclopedia
W. R. Dean was a British applied mathematician
and fluid dynamicist
. His research interests included Stokes flow, solid mechanics
, and flow in curved channels. The Dean number
bears his name.
Dean carried out pioneering work in the study of fluid flow at low Reynolds numbers, by applying methods from elasticity theory. Some of his more famous results include solutions for secondary flow in curved tubes, for the perturbation to shear flow near a wall cased by a gap in the wall, and for flow in a corner.
Dean was an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge
. He spent five years at Imperial College
, and was later a fellow of Trinity College. During the war he undertook mathematical work as part of the Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section of M.I.D. He also held the Goldsmid Chair in Applied Mathematics at University College London
(from which he retired in 1964), and a chair at the University of Arizona
.
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
and fluid dynamicist
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
. His research interests included Stokes flow, solid mechanics
Solid mechanics
Solid mechanics is the branch of mechanics, physics, and mathematics that concerns the behavior of solid matter under external actions . It is part of a broader study known as continuum mechanics. One of the most common practical applications of solid mechanics is the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation...
, and flow in curved channels. The Dean number
Dean number
The Dean number is a dimensionless group in fluid mechanics, which occurs in the study of flow in curved pipes and channels. It is named after the British scientist W. R. Dean, who studied such flows in the 1920s .- Definition :...
bears his name.
Dean carried out pioneering work in the study of fluid flow at low Reynolds numbers, by applying methods from elasticity theory. Some of his more famous results include solutions for secondary flow in curved tubes, for the perturbation to shear flow near a wall cased by a gap in the wall, and for flow in a corner.
Dean was an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He spent five years at Imperial College
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, and was later a fellow of Trinity College. During the war he undertook mathematical work as part of the Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section of M.I.D. He also held the Goldsmid Chair in Applied Mathematics at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
(from which he retired in 1964), and a chair at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
.