John Ockendon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ockendon
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Terracotta bust of Ockendon at St Catherine's College, Oxford
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| Born |
John Richard Ockendon
October 13, 1940 |
| Education | Dulwich College |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford (MA, DPhil) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Awards | IMA Gold Medal (2006) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Applied mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Oxford |
| Thesis | Some problems in fluid dynamics (1965) |
| Doctoral advisor | Alan B. Tayler |
| Doctoral students |
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John Richard Ockendon is a very smart mathematician from the United Kingdom. He was born in 1940. He is famous for using mathematics to solve real-world problems. He especially helped us understand how liquids and gases move.
Mr. Ockendon is a professor at the University of Oxford. He is also a special retired member, called an Emeritus Fellow, at St Catherine's College, Oxford. He helped start and lead a special math center at Oxford. This center is called the Oxford Centre for Collaborative Applied Mathematics (OCCAM).
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Learning and School
John Ockendon went to a private school called Dulwich College. After that, he studied at the University of Oxford. In 1965, he earned a special degree called a Doctor of Philosophy. His research was all about how liquids and gases move, which is called fluid dynamics. His teacher for this research was Alan B. Tayler.
Amazing Math Work
John Ockendon's early work focused on how liquids and gases behave. He studied things like very fast airflows, slow-moving liquids, and how liquids splash. He also looked at how liquids move through spongy materials. His work helped us understand how ships move in water.
Later, he started studying problems where the edge of a liquid or gas changes. Imagine ice melting into water; the boundary between ice and water moves. He was a pioneer in studying these "moving boundary problems." He looked at how materials change from one state to another, like freezing or melting. He also studied how things touch each other, like when two objects press together.
Mr. Ockendon also worked with different industries. He helped with new ideas for designing camera lenses. He also worked on making fibers and glass. His math helped understand how materials flow and how heat moves. He even studied how waves travel and how things bounce when they hit each other.
He really wanted mathematicians and industries to work together. From 1972 to 1989, he organized yearly meetings. These meetings were called Study Groups with Industry. They helped bring math experts and businesses together to solve problems.
Awards and Special Honors
In 1999, John Ockendon was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. In 2006, he received the IMA Gold Medal. This award came from the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. It recognized his great contributions to math.
His Life Outside Work
John Ockendon is married to Hilary Ockendon. She is also a mathematician and has worked with him.
When he's not doing math, Mr. Ockendon enjoys a few hobbies. He likes to watch birds. He also collects old model trains, specifically from a brand called Hornby-Dublo. And he enjoys old sports cars!
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