Joseph Valentin Boussinesq facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Boussinesq
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Joseph Valentin Boussinesq
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| Born | 13 March 1842 |
| Died | 19 February 1929 (aged 86) Paris, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | Faculty of Sciences of Paris |
| Known for | Boussinesq approximation in: buoyancy water waves turbulence |
| Awards | Poncelet Price, French Academy of Sciences (1871) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics Physics |
| Institutions | Faculty of Sciences of Lille (1872–1886) Faculty of Sciences of Paris (1896–1918) |
Joseph Valentin Boussinesq (born March 13, 1842 – died February 19, 1929) was a brilliant French mathematician and physicist. He made huge discoveries about how liquids move, how things vibrate, and how light and heat work.
Contents
Life and Work
Early Career and Teaching
From 1872 to 1886, Boussinesq was a professor at the Faculty of Sciences of Lille. He taught important math subjects like differential and integral calculus. Later, from 1896 until he retired in 1918, he was a professor of mechanics at the Faculty of Sciences of Paris.
Understanding Waves
One of Boussinesq's most famous works was about "solitary waves." Imagine a single wave that travels a long distance without changing its shape. A scientist named John Scott Russell first saw these waves in a canal in 1834. He reported his findings in 1844.
Boussinesq was the first to create a mathematical theory for these waves in 1871. This helped explain how they worked. In 1877, he introduced an important equation called the KdV equation. This equation is still used today to understand waves. Another scientist, Lord Rayleigh, also developed a theory for these waves in 1876. He later recognized that Boussinesq's work came first.
Studying Liquid Flow
In 1897, Boussinesq published a major book. It was called Théorie de l'écoulement tourbillonnant et tumultueux des liquides. This translates to "Theory of the swirling and agitated flow of liquids." This book greatly helped scientists understand how liquids move in a swirling or chaotic way. This type of movement is now known as "turbulence."
Interestingly, Boussinesq himself never used the word "turbulence." He used phrases like "swirling and agitated flow." The word "turbulence" in fluid mechanics was first used by Lord Kelvin in 1887.
Books by Joseph Valentin Boussinesq
Joseph Boussinesq wrote many important books on mathematics and physics. Here are some of his key works:
- Théorie de l'écoulement tourbillonnant et tumultueux des liquides dans les lits rectilignes a grande section (vol.1) (1897)
- Cours d'analyse infinitésimale Tome 1, Fascicule 1 (1887-1890)
- Cours d'analyse infinitésimale Tome 1, Fascicule 2 (1887-1890)
- Théorie analytique de la chaleur Volume 1 (1901-1903)
- Théorie analytique de la chaleur Volume 2 (1901-1903)
- Leçons synthétiques de mécanique générale (1889)
See also
In Spanish: Joseph Boussinesq para niños
- Boussinesq approximation (buoyancy) (how fluids behave with small density differences)
- Boussinesq approximation (water waves) (how long waves move on water)
- Turbulence modeling (how scientists study and predict turbulence)
- Clapotis (a type of standing wave)
