Nationality American Role Mathematician Institutions Courant Institute Education ETH Zurich (1936) | Known for Theory of water waves Fields Applied mathematics Name James Stoker | |
Alma mater Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, (Ph.D., 1936) Doctoral advisor Heinz Hopf
George Polya Doctoral students Louis Nirenberg
Jean Van Heijenoort
Eli Turkel Died October 19, 1992, Greenwood Lake, New York, United States Books Water Waves: The Mathematical Theory with Applications Awards Guggenheim Fellowship for Natural Sciences, US & Canada, Timoshenko Medal Similar People Heinz Hopf, George Polya, Louis Nirenberg, John Forbes Nash - Jr, Albert W Tucker | ||
James Johnston Stoker (March 2, 1905 – October 19, 1992) was an American applied mathematician and engineer. He was director of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and is considered one of the founders of the institute, Courant and Friedrichs being the others. Stoker is known for his work in differential geometry and theory of water waves. He is also the author of the now classic book Water Waves: The Mathematical Theory with Applications.
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Career
Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stoker started his career as a mining engineer. In the 1930s, he went to Zürich to pursue a doctorate in mechanics at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. One of the first courses he took there was by Heinz Hopf on geometry. Stoker was so impressed by the subject, and the teacher, that he switched his doctoral programme to differential geometry He received his Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Hopf and George Pólya. Hopf later recommended Stoker to Richard Courant. In 1937 Stoker, along with Courant's former student Kurt O. Friedrichs, joined Courant in the Department of Mathematics at the New York University. With Stoker's engineering background and Friedrichs' mastery in mathematics, the two were effectively collaborated on many applied problems such as plate theory.
On Courant’s retirement in 1958 Stoker succeeded him as director and served until 1966. It was during Stoker’s period as director, the Institute acquired greater autonomy within the University framework. It became the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences in 1965. Friedrichs succeeded Stoker as director in 1966.
Honors and awards
Books
Stoker's book on "Water Waves" is a significant work which summarises the state of knowledge in water wave theory in 1957. The focus is on linear wave theory.