Famous Systems Scientists and Engineers

1. Famous Systems Scientists and Engineers By Evan Nixon 12/01/2009

2. Overview • I will present on five different scientists and engineers who have had significant achievements that relate to systems engineering • Jay Forrester • Claude Shannon • Wernher von Braun • Andrei Kolmogorov • Lev Pontryagin

3. Jay Forrester: Life • Born July 14, 1918, Anselmo, Nebraska • Early fascination with electricity • Attended University of Nebraska, EE • Worked at MIT as a research assistant after college

4. Jay Forrester: MIT and the Navy • Pioneered work in feedback control systems at MIT • In WWII he developed servomechanisms for gun mounts and radar antennas • Developed an aircraft flight simulator • His simulator eventually became the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment)

5. SAGE • To the left is the SAGE control room • System used from 1950s into 1980s • Used to intercept enemy bomber aircraft • Advanced online systems, real-time computing, and data communications

6. Management • In 1956 Forrester moved to the MIT school of Management • He applied his work to computationally analyze social situations

7. Contributions and Acknowledgements • Founder of System Dynamics • Improved interactive computing and online systems • He worked on some of the most successful large computer systems ever built • IEEE Computer Pioneer Award in 1982 • National Medal of Technology in 1989 • Inducted into the Operational Research Hall of fame

8. Claude Shannon • “Father of information theory” • April 30, 1916 – February 24, 2001 • Attended University of Michigan, MIT • Famous for master’s thesis on digital circuitry

9. A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits • Argued that Boolean algebra could simplify electromechanical relays used in telephone switches • Reverse of the concept: electronic switches could perform logic operations • This work became the foundation for digital circuit design • Earned Shannon the Alfred Noble American Institute of American Engineers Award in 1940

10. Post Graduate School • Shannon became a National Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton • Joined Bell Labs to work on control systems and cryptography during WWII

11. The Beginning of Information Theory • Shannon published a paper titled “A Mathematical Theory of Communication” in 1948 • Focused on optimal methods for encoding data • Developed information entropy • Effectively invented information theory • Also introduced Sampling Theory

12. Oddities • Shannon was interested in juggling and unicycling • Invented rocket-powered flying discs • Created a motorized pogo-stick • Invented a flame-throwing trumpet

13. Contributions and Acknowledgements • Credited with the founding of information theory • All computers are descendent from his concepts • Founded digital circuit design • Important work in cryptography • Alfred Noble Prize, 1940 • IEEE Medal of Honor, 1966 • National Medal of Science, 1966 • National Inventors Hall of Fame

14. Wernher von Braun • March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977 • Born German as a Freiherr • Attended boarding schools, inspired by space • Rocket physicist and astronautics engineer

15. Beginnings • Von Braun worked at a rocket test site • Received a doctorate in physics from the University of Berlin for his thesis, About Combustion Tests • His full thesis was unclassified in 1960 • Von Braun was technical director of Peenemünde, a large rocket test facility • Was forced into the Nazi party if he wished to continue his work

16. Nazi Involvement • Von Braun specifically designed liquid fueled rockets in aircraft for the Nazis • Was chiefly involved in the development of the V-2 rocket • Nazis eventually believed that Von Braun would flee to England and arrested him for two weeks • He was eventually released, but decided to surrender to America

17. America • Von Braun was instructed to continue his work and teach other American engineers rocketry secrets • Developed the Redstone rocket, then the Jupiter-C • Dreamed of presence in space, on the moon • Was chosen for orbital rocket task

18. Space Race • Von Braun and his German team were chosen to develop a rocket based space vehicle • Von Braun became NASA’s first director • Von Braun played a large role in the development of Saturn rockets, was director when Apollo 11 landed on the moon • Eventually relocated and was assigned to be NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning

19. Contributions and Acknowledgements • Made significant advances in rocketry • Developed technology that led us to the moon • Knight Cross of the War Merit Cross, 1944 • Smithsonian Langley Medal, 1967 • NASA Distinguished Service Medal, 1969 • National Medal of Science, 1975 • Werner-von-Siemens-Ring, 1975 • Fun Fact: the crater ‘von Braun’ on the moon is named after him

20. Andrei Kolmogorov • April 25, 1903 – October 20, 1987 • Immediately recognized as brilliant • Developed perpetual motion machines cleverly disguised as to fool teachers • Moscow State University, then Chemistry Technological Institute

21. Mathematics • Kolmogorov began proving results in set theory and Fourier series theory • Internationally recognized when he developed a special Fourier series, decided to become a mathematician • One of Kolmogorov’s most famous works, About the Analytical Methods of Probability Theory, published in 1931

22. Foundations of the Theory of Probability • Laid foundations for probability theory • Kolmogorov regarded as leading expert in this field • Elected a academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences • Later published a paper establishing theory regarding smoothing stochastic processes

23. Later Research • Developed Chapman-Kolmogorov equations with mathematician Sydney Chapman • Advanced stochastic processes • Later studied turbulence, developed Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theorem • Founder of algorithmic complexity theory • Solved Hilbert’s thirteenth problem, a proof of whether or not solutions exist for all 7th degree equations of functions of two arguments

24. Contributions and Acknowledgements • Contributed greatly to probability theory • Famous work in intuitionistic logic • Founder of algorithmic complexity theory • Laureate of the Wolf Prize in Mathematics • Stalin Prize Winner

25. Lev Pontryagin • September 3, 1908 – May 3, 1988 • Lost his eyesight in a stove explosion at age 14 • Mother read him mathematical books, helped him to be a mathematician

26. Student Studies • Worked on duality theory for homology • Later developed theory about the Fourier transform, called Pontryagin duality • His work led to Pontryagin classes, a theory of characteristic classes

27. Optimal Control • Pontryagin contributed greatly to optimal control theory • Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle is very important in modern optimization theory • This theory finds the best control for making a system change from one state to another • Designed to maximize a ‘benefit’ function • Introduced ‘bang-bang’ principle

28. Contributions and Acknowledgements • Development of duality theory • Breakthrough work in optimizaiton • Elected to Academy of Sciences in 1939 • Stalin prize, 1941 • LMS Honorary Member, 1952 • Speaker at International Congress, 1958 • Vice President of the International Mathematical Union, 1970

29. FIN Any questions?