Sir Richard Vynne Southwell, FRS[2] (2 July 1888 – 9 December 1970) was a British mathematician who specialised in applied mechanics as an engineering science academic.[4][5]
Southwell was Rector at Imperial College, London from 1942 until his retirement in 1948.[4][7][8] He continued his research at Imperial College. He was also involved in the opening a new student residence, Selkirk Hall.
Scientific contribution
As a scientist, Southwell developed relaxation methods for solving partial differential equations in engineering and theoretical physics during the 1930 and the 1940s. The equations had first to be discretised by the finite difference methods. Then, the values of the function of the grids would have to be iteratively adjusted so that the discretised equation would be satisfied. At the time, digital computers did not exist, and the computations had to be done by hand. Southwell developed various techniques to speed up the calculations. For instance, in 1935, he used multiple grids for that purpose, a technique which would later be elaborated into the multigrid method.[9]
Honours
Southwell received the following honours and recognition for his achievements:
^A. G. Pugsley, ‘Southwell, Sir Richard Vynne (1888–1970)’, rev. H. C. G. Matthew, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011, accessed 2 November 2013
^Hannah Guy, The history of Imperial College London, 1907–2007, Imperial College Press, 2007. Page 749.
^"Imperial College of Science and Technology: Sir Richard Southwell, F.R.S". Nature. 162 (4105): 16. 1948. Bibcode:1948Natur.162Q..16.. doi:10.1038/162016a0.
^A. O. Demuren, Application of Multigrid Methods to solve Navier-Stokes Equations, NASA Technical Memorandum no. 102359 (1989).
External links
Centenary of Imperial college with a short biography of R. V. Southwell
richard, southwell, other, people, with, same, name, richard, southwell, richard, vynne, southwell, july, 1888, december, 1970, british, mathematician, specialised, applied, mechanics, engineering, science, academic, richard, southwellbornrichard, vynne, south. For other people with the same name see Richard Southwell Sir Richard Vynne Southwell FRS 2 2 July 1888 9 December 1970 was a British mathematician who specialised in applied mechanics as an engineering science academic 4 5 Richard SouthwellBornRichard Vynne Southwell2 July 1888NorwichDied9 December 1970 1970 12 09 aged 82 NationalityBritishAlma materTrinity College Cambridge 1 AwardsTimoshenko Medal 1959 Elliott Cresson Medal 1964 Fellow of the Royal Society 2 Scientific careerFieldsMathematicsInstitutionsUniversity of OxfordDoctoral studentsLeslie FoxOlgierd Zienkiewicz 3 Contents 1 Education and career 2 Scientific contribution 3 Honours 4 Publications 5 References 6 External linksEducation and career EditRichard Southwell was educated at Norwich School and Trinity College Cambridge where in 1912 he achieved first class degree results in both the mathematical and mechanical science tripos 6 In 1914 he became a Fellow of Trinity and a lecturer in Mechanical Sciences Southwell was in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I After World War I he was head of the Aerodynamics and Structures Divisions at the Royal Aircraft Establishment Farnborough In 1920 he moved to the National Physical Laboratory He then returned to Trinity College in 1925 as Fellow and Mathematics Lecturer in 1925 Next in 1929 he moved to Oxford University as Professor of Engineering Science and Fellow of Brasenose College Here he developed a research group including Derman Christopherson with whom he worked on his relaxation method He became a member of a number of UK governmental technical committees including for the Air Ministry at the time when the R100 and R101 airships were being conceived Southwell was Rector at Imperial College London from 1942 until his retirement in 1948 4 7 8 He continued his research at Imperial College He was also involved in the opening a new student residence Selkirk Hall Scientific contribution EditAs a scientist Southwell developed relaxation methods for solving partial differential equations in engineering and theoretical physics during the 1930 and the 1940s The equations had first to be discretised by the finite difference methods Then the values of the function of the grids would have to be iteratively adjusted so that the discretised equation would be satisfied At the time digital computers did not exist and the computations had to be done by hand Southwell developed various techniques to speed up the calculations For instance in 1935 he used multiple grids for that purpose a technique which would later be elaborated into the multigrid method 9 Honours EditSouthwell received the following honours and recognition for his achievements Professor at University of Oxford 1925 Fellow of the Royal Society 1925 2 Worcester Reed Warner medal ASME 1941 Member of the National Academy of Sciences 1943 Timoshenko Medal 1959 Elliott Cresson Medal 1964 Southwell was also honoured with a knighthood Publications EditStress Calculation in Frameworks by the method of relaxation of constraints Proc Roy Soc A 151 56 1935 Proc Roy Soc A 153 41 1935 Relaxation methods in engineering science a treatise on approximate computation Oxford Univ Press 1940 An Introduction to the Theory of Elasticity for Engineers and Physicists 2nd ed London Oxford University Press 1941 Relaxation Methods in Theoretical Physics a continuation of the treatise Relaxation methods in engineering science Oxford University Press 1946 References Edit SOUTHWELL Sir Richard Vynne Who Was Who A amp C Black 1920 2015 online edn Oxford University Press 2014 a b c Christopherson D G 1972 Richard Vynne Southwell 1888 1970 Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 18 549 565 doi 10 1098 rsbm 1972 0020 S2CID 122050415 Richard V Southwell at the Mathematics Genealogy Project a b Sir Richard Southwell MA LLD FRS Rector 1942 48 Imperial College London UK Annual Report 1975 A G Pugsley Southwell Sir Richard Vynne 1888 1970 rev H C G Matthew Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 online edn Jan 2011 accessed 2 November 2013 Hannah Guy The history of Imperial College London 1907 2007 Imperial College Press 2007 Page 749 Imperial College of Science and Technology Sir Richard Southwell F R S Nature 162 4105 16 1948 Bibcode 1948Natur 162Q 16 doi 10 1038 162016a0 A O Demuren Application of Multigrid Methods to solve Navier Stokes Equations NASA Technical Memorandum no 102359 1989 External links EditCentenary of Imperial college with a short biography of R V Southwell Biography in Portuguese Brasil Early Numerical Linear Algebra in the UKAcademic officesPreceded bySir Henry Tizard Rector of Imperial College London1942 1948 Succeeded bySir Roderic Hill Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Richard V Southwell amp oldid 1111065710, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
