Oliver Heaviside

Oheaviside

Oliver Heaviside (18 May 1850 – 3 February 1925) was an English self-taught electrical engineer, mathematician, and physicist who adapted complex numbers to the study of electrical circuits, invented mathematical techniques for the solution of differential equations (later found to be equivalent to what is now known as Laplace transforms), reformulated Maxwell's equations in the form by which they are known today, and developed the skin effect in telegraph transmission lines. Despite his lack of formal education, Heaviside's work in the electromagnetic theory, telecommunications, and mathematical physics had a profound impact on modern electrical engineering and mathematics.

Early Life and Education

Oliver Heaviside was born in Camden Town, London, and was the youngest of four children. His father was a wood engraver, and his mother was the daughter of a notable London shipping merchant. Heaviside faced many health challenges in his childhood and was partially deaf. His formal education ended when he was 16, but he continued to study on his own, with a particular interest in physics and engineering.

Career

In 1870, Heaviside took a job as a telegraph operator with the Great Northern Telegraph Company, where he worked on the Denmark-England telegraph line. His experiences here stimulated his interest in electrical engineering. Heaviside began publishing research in 1872, focusing on the analysis of telegraph equations and electrical currents.

Heaviside's most significant contributions came in the form of his work on Maxwell's equations. He simplified James Clerk Maxwell's original twenty equations into the four differential equations known today as Maxwell's equations. He also introduced the vector notation system used in the fields of engineering and physics.

In addition to his work on Maxwell's equations, Heaviside developed the theory of the skin effect, which describes how alternating currents flow primarily at the surface of a conductor, rather than through its entire cross-section. This discovery had important implications for the design and operation of telegraph and power transmission lines.

Later Life and Legacy

Despite his contributions to electrical engineering and physics, Heaviside lived much of his life in relative obscurity and financial difficulty. He never held an academic position, and his work was often criticized or ignored by his contemporaries. However, in 1891, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his contributions to mathematics and electrical engineering.

Heaviside spent his later years living with his brother in Torquay, where he continued to work on his mathematical and theoretical studies until his death in 1925. Today, Heaviside is recognized as one of the pioneers of electrical engineering and theoretical physics, and his work forms the foundation of many modern technologies, including telecommunications and electrical power systems.

See Also

• Electromagnetic theory
• Differential equations
• Telecommunications
• Mathematical physics