Richard Von Mises - Contributions

Contributions

In aerodynamics, Richard von Mises made notable advances in boundary-layer-flow theory and airfoil design. He developed the Distortion energy theory of stress, which is one of the most important concepts used by engineers in material strength calculations.

His ideas were not unanimously well received, although Alexander Ostrowski had said of him:

"Only with the appointment of Richard von Mises to the University of Berlin did the first serious German school of applied mathematics with a broad sphere of influence come into existence. Von Mises was an incredibly dynamic person and at the same time amazingly versatile like Runge. He was especially well versed in the realm of technology."

and also wrote:

"Because of his dynamic personality his occasional major blunders were somehow tolerated. One has even forgiven him his theory of probability."

Yet Kolmogorov, whose rival axiomatisation was better received, was less severe:

"The basis for the applicability of the results of the mathematical theory of probability to real 'random phenomena' must depend on some form of the frequency concept of probability, the unavoidable nature of which has been established by von Mises in a spirited manner."

In solid mechanics, Richard von Mises made an important contribution to the theory of plasticity by formulating what has become known as the Von Mises yield criterion, independently of Tytus Maksymilian Huber.

He is also often credited for the Principle of Maximum Plastic Dissipation.

The Gesellschaft für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (International Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics) has awarded a Richard von Mises-Preis (Prize) since 1989.

In probability theory, he was the person who originally proposed the now famous "birthday problem". He also defined the impossibility of a gambling system.