Rodney Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rodney Hill
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 11 June 1921 |
| Died | 2 February 2011 (aged 89) |
| Awards | FRS |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Plasticity |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
Rodney Hill (born June 11, 1921 – died February 2, 2011) was a very smart scientist. He was an applied mathematician, which means he used math to solve real-world problems. He also taught about how solid materials behave at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
Contents
Rodney Hill's Career and Discoveries
In 1953, Rodney Hill became a professor at the University of Nottingham. He taught about using math to solve practical problems.
Understanding How Materials Change Shape
One of his most important works was a book from 1950. It was called The Mathematical Theory of Plasticity. This book helped create the basic ideas for something called plasticity theory.
Plasticity is about how materials like metal or plastic change shape permanently when you push or pull on them. Think about bending a paperclip. If you bend it a little, it springs back. But if you bend it too much, it stays bent. That's plasticity!
Rodney Hill's work helped scientists understand this better. His ideas are still very important in the study of how solid objects behave. This includes how they act in real life, in computer models, and in experiments.
Starting a Key Science Journal
Rodney Hill also helped start a science magazine called the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. He was its first editor. This magazine is still one of the most important places for scientists to share new ideas about how materials work.
Awards and Special Recognition
Rodney Hill's work was known all over the world. People admired his clear writing and excellent research.
The Rodney Hill Prize
A big publishing company called Elsevier and a group called IUTAM created a special award in his honor. It's called the Rodney Hill Prize. This prize is given every four years to a scientist who has done amazing work in the field of solid mechanics. The winner also gets US$25,000! The first prize was given out in 2008.
Other Important Awards
In 1993, Rodney Hill won the Royal Medal. This award was for his important ideas about how soil behaves and how solids change shape (plasticity).
He was also chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1961. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom. In 1978, the University of Bath gave him an honorary degree, which is like a special award for his achievements.
His Later Years
Rodney Hill passed away on February 2, 2011. His work continues to influence scientists today.
