Richard V. Southwell facts for kids

Sir Richard Vynne Southwell was a very smart British mathematician. He was born on July 2, 1888, and passed away on December 9, 1970. He focused on applied mechanics. This is a field that uses math to solve engineering problems. He was also a FRS, which is a big honor for scientists.

Richard Southwell's Life and Work

Early Life and Education

Richard Southwell went to Norwich School. Then he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1912, he got top grades in math and mechanical science. Two years later, in 1914, he became a Fellow at Trinity. He also started teaching Mechanical Sciences there.

War Service and Research

During World War I, Southwell served in the Royal Naval Air Service. After the war, he worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. He led the teams that studied how aircraft fly and how their structures are built.

In 1920, he moved to the National Physical Laboratory. This lab helps set standards for measurements and science.

University Professor and Leader

Southwell returned to Trinity College in 1925. He was a Fellow and a math lecturer. In 1929, he moved to Oxford University. There, he became a Professor of Engineering Science. He also became a Fellow of Brasenose College.

At Oxford, he started a research group. He worked with Derman Christopherson on something called the relaxation method. Southwell also joined many government groups. These groups advised the Air Ministry on projects like the R100 and R101 airships.

From 1942 to 1948, Southwell was the leader, or Rector, of Imperial College, London. He continued his research there until he retired. He also helped open a new place for students to live, called Selkirk Hall.

Southwell's Scientific Discoveries

The Relaxation Method

As a scientist, Southwell created relaxation methods. These methods helped solve complex math problems. These problems are called partial differential equations. They are used in engineering and theoretical physics. He developed these methods in the 1930s and 1940s.

First, the equations had to be broken down into smaller parts. This was done using finite difference methods. Then, people had to guess values for the answers. They would slowly adjust these values until the equation was solved.

Solving Problems by Hand

Back then, there were no digital computers. All these calculations had to be done by hand! Southwell found ways to make these calculations faster. For example, in 1935, he used several grids to speed things up. This idea later became known as the multigrid method.

Awards and Recognition

Southwell received many honors for his important work:

• Professor at University of Oxford (1925)
• Fellow of the Royal Society (1925)
• Worcester Reed Warner medal from ASME (1941)
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1943)
• Timoshenko Medal (1959)
• Elliott Cresson Medal (1964)

He was also honored with a knighthood, which means he was called "Sir Richard Southwell."