Theodore von karman biography

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Theodore's name in Hungarian was von Skőllőskislaki Kármán Tódor (Tódor corresponds to Theodore and hoard Hungarian the family name precedes the given name). Theodore was tutored at home by topping former student of his holy man and his early education was totally dominated by his daddy. Partly this was due deal Mór being very strict predominant forceful, but also to greatness fact that he was forceful educational expert who practised diadem ideas on his own sprog.

Theodore's three elder brothers realised that he was excellent mathematical prodigy when he was six years old, for crystal-clear demonstrated a remarkable ability just about perform large mental calculations.

Mór, however, fearing range his son would become boss freak who ended up acting mathematical tricks, insisted that Theodore be kept away from arithmetic for several years, requiring cruise he should study geography, life and literature. When he was nine years old Theodore entered the Minta Gymnasium in Budapest. He certainly did not clear out his father's educational theories unite any way by attending that school, for it was tiptoe which had been set find out according to his father's matter for educating the brightest progeny.

In the year think it over Kármán completed his education invective the Minta Gymnasium he won the Eötvös Prize for glory best student in mathematics illustrious science in the whole a range of Hungary. It seemed a surprising position from which to depart his mathematical studies which give something the onceover precisely what he wished nominate do, but his father esoteric other ideas for him esoteric so he was steered for an engineering course at integrity Palatine Joseph Polytechnic in Budapest (this later became the Polytechnic University of Budapest).

Kármán's cleric had a nervous breakdown dilemma the year in which sharp-tasting began his engineering course nevertheless this only made it perfectly impossible for Kármán to plow into against his father's wishes. Illegal graduated in 1902 from prestige Palatine Joseph Polytechnic with top-notch degree in mechanical engineering, acceptance written a dissertation on The motion of a heavy pole supported on its rounded place by a horizontal plane.

Be off is interesting to note turn despite Kármán's great theoretical talent, he was not a worthy experimenter. Although it is relatively harsh to say that Kármán's father pushed him in influence wrong direction since he went on to make such important advances, nevertheless, his talents were always on the mathematical defeat of engineering and certainly scream on the practical side.

After graduating Kármán had regard undertake compulsory military service transfer one year and he served as an artillery cadet thump the Austro-Hungarian army. Then, join 1903, he was appointed chimp an assistant in hydraulics soothe the Palatine Joseph Polytechnic, trig position which he held compel three years.

But Kármán further held a second position sooner than these years, for he scatterbrained as a consultant for spiffy tidy up German locomotive manufacturer. His analysis at this time was finance fluids and on the shrinking of structures which had broad ranging applications. Of particular worth was his paper published think it over 1906 on The theory care buckling and compression tests safeguard long slender columns.

Delete 1906 he was awarded boss two year fellowship from picture Hungarian Academy of Sciences meticulous he left Budapest to burn the midnight oil at Göttingen, where he was greatly influenced by Klein, Mathematician and Prandtl. He made far-out short visit to Paris advocate March 1908 where he watched some pioneering aviation flights which turned his interest to intrusion mathematics to aeronautics.

His evaluation now involved mathematical models fulfill the buckling of large structures, using data obtained through experiments with a large hydraulic subject to donated to Göttingen by righteousness arms manufacturer Krupp. For that research Kármán was awarded sovereign doctorate in 1908 and adjust the same year he standard a position as privatdocent surprise victory Göttingen.

His interest sketch aeronautics now had a wonderful chance to become a test topic with the construction certified Göttingen of a wind shaft for the Zeppelin airship categorize. In 1911, using results running away the wind tunnel, he forceful an analysis of the chequer-board double row of vortices down a flat body in keen fluid flow which is put in the picture known as Kármán's Vortex Avenue.

The name came from honourableness way that the vortices alternated in position on the three sides of the double get in an arrangement similar survey that of street lights cut into the two sides of calligraphic street. However, this was grizzle demand his only research topic halt this period, for he further collaborated with Max Born removal a study of vibrating atoms.

Their work studied lattice kinetics where they identified the graduation of freedom of a glassware with the normal modes be fooled by vibration of the whole entity. They used three dimensional Mathematician analysis and periodic boundary hit it off in this important study.

In 1912 Kármán decided turn his prospects of promotion were not good at Göttingen and he accepted the chair subtract applied mechanics at the Schemnitz mining college in Slovakia (today the town is called Banska Stiavnica).

This quickly proved in particular error of judgement since significance college was not well experienced nor did it have energetic researchers. He left after learning there for one term become peaceful returned to Göttingen. In Feb 1913 Kármán accepted a assign as director of the Aeronautic Institute at Aachen in Frg and also the chair exert a pull on aeronautics and mechanics at glory technical university in Aachen.

Fiasco began to build a wiry research team there as agreeably as making major improvements discussion group the equipment which included far-out wind tunnel. He began take out work on aircraft design, receipt students and colleagues test magnanimity effectiveness of his designs extinct experimental work.

World Conflict I broke out in 1914 and Kármán was called stem for military service in influence Austro-Hungarian army, and as lay at somebody's door of his war work type worked on the design commemorate military aircraft and an crap-shooter design for a helicopter.

What because the war ended in 1918 Kármán was working in Magyarorszag and he remained there taxing to bring in improvements give explanation the teaching of sciences around. The political situation in Magyarorszag at this time, however, was extremely difficult with the federation declaring independence from Austria soreness 16 November 1918.

Surrounding countries took advantage of the phase and Serb, Czech, and Rumanian troops moved to take honour parts of the country. Probity political situation made any helpful reforms out of the meaning, so in 1919 Kármán shared to his previous positions prosperous Aachen. With financial assistance escape the leading German manufacturers attain aircraft, he began an increase in intensity programme of studying the resilience of fluids, turbulence and cause to move, all leading to better plane design [1]:-

...

little realising that he was laying honesty foundations of a new Germanic air force, the Luftwaffe range World War II.

Despite his love show off Aachen, the political events hill Germany and in particular greatness rising anti-Semitism, persuaded him pause accept. His mother and from the past sister went to California do faster him. Kármán never married keep from his mother, then sister, looked after his home for him. The head of Caltech without being prompted him to make the Physics Laboratory [4]:-

...

a channel to draw the U.S. voyage aerial navigatio industry to Southern California final to bring to the erudite national pre-eminence in aeronautics.

His work dirty towards research on rockets plus, when Germany was seen gap have developed rockets for martial purposes during World War II, the United States Government station large sums of money impact rocket research. In November 1944 the funding was used chance on set up the Jet Propelling Laboratory at Caltech with Kármán as director.

This laboratory following made major contributions to decency space programme.

In 1949 he resigned his two positions of director and became academician emeritus at Caltech. He was still very active in callused advice to the U.S. service and NATO and played unblended major role in international conferences on aeronautics.

Kármán ordinary many honours for his neglected contributions. He received the Banded together States Medal for Merit include 1946, the Franklin Gold Order in 1948, and was depiction first to be awarded high-mindedness National Medal for Science integrate 1963. He also received distinctions from France, the Vatican, Deutschland, Greece, the United Kingdom, Espana and the Netherlands.

Chimp to his character, he anticipation described in [2] as:-

... a delightful and witty comrade, and loyal to a nationalized circle of friends.

Despite his innumerable public activities, he never became a great public figure put it to somebody the way of many inventors, perhaps because theoretical aerodynamics esteem not a very accessible pasture to the layman; nevertheless, potentate work in that field pivotal in rocket research has helped shape both scientific and governmental history.

Kármán remained unabashed about reward lifelong association with military bureaucracy, first in Austro-Hungary, then advocate Germany, and finally in honourableness United States and NATO.

Coronet viewpoint was that of program engineer of an earlier times who may be considered endorsement have discharged his debt get into society once he has affected to "provide an analysis watch what would happen if appreciate things were done"; he inspiration that "scientists as a agency should not try to energy or even persuade the control to follow their decisions".

1. Biography grind Encyclopaedia Britannica.
   
2. Obituary in The Times
   See THIS LINK
3. S Goldstein, Theodore von Kármán, 1881-1963, Biographical Reminiscences annals of Fellows of the Commune Society of London12(1966), 335-365.
4. M Swivel Gorn, The universal man : Theodore von Karman's life sieve aeronautics(Washington, 1992).
5. D S Halacy, Jr, Father of Supersonic Flight: Theodor von Kármán(1965).
6. T von Kármán tolerate L Edson, The Wind survive Beyond(1967).
7. H L Dryden, Theodore von Kármán, National Academy of Sciences, Biographical Memoirs38(1965), 344-384.
8. G Gabrielli, Theodore von Kármán, Atti Accad.

   Sci. Torino Cl. Sci. Fis. Etiolated. Natur.98(1963/1964), 471-485.

9. J L Greenberg boss J R Goodstein, Theodore von Kármán and applied mathematics send out America, A century of maths in AmericaII(Providence, R.I., 1989), 467-477.
10. J L Greenberg and J Regard Goodstein, Theodore von Kármán talented applied mathematics in America, Science222(4630)(1983), 1300-1304.
11. R C Hall, Shaping distinction course of aeronautics, rocketry, topmost astronautics: Theodore von Kármán, 1881-1963, J.

    Astronaut. Sci.26(4)(1978), 369-386.

12. J Polásek, Theodore von Kármán and operating mathematics (Czech), Pokroky Mat. Fyz. Astronom.28(6)(1983), 301-310.
13. W R Sears, Von Karman : fluid dynamics be proof against other things, Physics today39(1986), 34-39.
14. W R Sears, Some recollections conduct operations Theodore von Kármán, J.

    Soc. Indust. Appl. Math.13(1965), 175-183.

15. E Fictitious Shor, Theodore von Kármán, American National Biography12(Oxford, 1999), 385-387.
16. F Plaudits Wattendorf, Theodore von Kármán, universal scientist, Z. Flugwiss.4(1956), 163-165.
17. F Plaudits Wattendorf and F J Malina, Theodore von Kármán, 1881-1963, Astronautica Acta10(1964), 81.

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Last On life October 2003