Lewis Fry Richardson

Lewis Fry Richardson, FRS (11 October 1881 – 30 September 1953) was an English mathematician, physicist, meteorologist, psychologist, and pacifist who pioneered modern mathematical techniques of weather forecasting, and the application of similar techniques to studying the causes of wars and how to prevent them. He is also noted for his pioneering work concerning fractals and a method for solving a system of linear equations known as modified Richardson iteration. Lewis Fry Richardson was the youngest of seven children born to Catherine Fry (1838–1919) and David Richardson (1835–1913). They were a prosperous Quaker family, David Richardson operating a successful tanning and leather-manufacturing business. At age 12 he was sent to a Quaker boarding school, Bootham School in York, where he received an education in science, which stimulated an active interest in natural history. In 1898 he went on to Durham College of Science (a college of Durham University) where he took courses in mathematical physics, chemistry, botany, and zoology. He proceeded in 1900 to King's College, Cambridge, where he was taught physics in the natural sciences tripos by (among others) J. J. Thomson and graduated with a first-class degree in 1903. At age 47 he received a doctorate in mathematical psychology from the University of London. Richardson's working life represented his eclectic interests: National Physical Laboratory (1903–1904). University College Aberystwyth (1905–1906). Chemist, National Peat Industries (1906–1907). National Physical Laboratory (1907–1909). Manager of the physical and chemical laboratory, Sunbeam Lamp Company (1909–1912). Manchester College of Technology (1912–1913). Meteorological Office – as superintendent of Eskdalemuir Observatory (1913–1916). Friends Ambulance Unit in France (1916–1919). Meteorological Office at Benson, Oxfordshire (1919–1920). Head of the Physics Department at Westminster Training College (1920–1929). Principal, Paisley Technical College, now part of the University of the West of Scotland (1929–1940).

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Error Estimation and Numerical Integration

Explores error estimation in numerical integration and its applications in forecasting, emphasizing the Romberg method and Richardson extrapolation.

Climate Change Prediction: Linear Response Operators

Explores predicting climate change through linear response operators, focusing on the nonequilibrium nature of the climate system and the challenges of climate predictability.

Numerical Differentiation: Richardson Extrapolation ChE-312: Numerical methods

Covers Richardson extrapolation for numerical differentiation to reduce error.

Numerical weather prediction

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to predict the weather based on current weather conditions. Though first attempted in the 1920s, it was not until the advent of computer simulation in the 1950s that numerical weather predictions produced realistic results. A number of global and regional forecast models are run in different countries worldwide, using current weather observations relayed from radiosondes, weather satellites and other observing systems as inputs.

Hausdorff dimension

In mathematics, Hausdorff dimension is a measure of roughness, or more specifically, fractal dimension, that was introduced in 1918 by mathematician Felix Hausdorff. For instance, the Hausdorff dimension of a single point is zero, of a line segment is 1, of a square is 2, and of a cube is 3. That is, for sets of points that define a smooth shape or a shape that has a small number of corners—the shapes of traditional geometry and science—the Hausdorff dimension is an integer agreeing with the usual sense of dimension, also known as the topological dimension.

Lewis Fry Richardson