Old problem, new solution.Mathematical physics mathematical physics Branch of mathematical analysis that emphasizes tools and techniques of particular use to physicists and engineers. It focuses on vector spaces, matrix algebra, differential equations (especially for boundary value problems), integral equations, integral may have just gotten a boost from Michael Viscardi Michael Anthony Viscardi (born February 22, 1989 in Plano, Texas) of San Diego, California is a young mathematician who won the 2005 Siemens Westinghouse Competition and Davidson Fellowship with a mathematical project on how heat travels across a metal surface, winning $100,000 and , a home-schooled 16-year-old senior high school student from San Diego who also takes math classes three days a week at UCSD UCSD University of California, San Diego (La Jolla, California) UCSD User Centered System Design UCSD Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District (Illinois) UCSD Ultra Cool Sexy Dudes . In the mid-1800s, Lejeune Dirichlet, a famous German mathematician, investigated the solutions of boundary problems with partial differential equations in the interior of a region. If the unknown is prescribed on the boundary of the region, the problem is known as a Dirichlet Problem. If, dear reader, you don't understand exactly what that means, you are in good company since neither does this writer. But Viscardi not only understands, he has proposed a new theorem to solve the Dirichlet Problem. His work won him the top award--a $100,000 college scholarship--in the 2005 Siemens Westinghouse Competition The Siemens Westinghouse Competition is a science competition which is administered by the College Board. After Siemens AG purchased Westinghouse Electric Corporation's power generation unit in 1997, it was under the impression that the prestigious Westinghouse Science Talent in Math, Science and Technology. The competition judges were very impressed with Viscardi's work and knowledge. "It was almost impossible for our judges to figure out the limits of his understanding during our questioning," said lead judge Constance Atwell. Viscardi said he worked on the problem for about six months with a professor at UCSD. Viscardi's theory has potential applications in the fields of engineering Engineering is a collective term to describe the application of scientific theory in the design, creation, and maintenance of technology. According to 1992 NSF data, the largest fields of engineering are Civil, Electrical / Electronic, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering (by number of and physics, including airplane wing design. |
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