Timeline of computational physics

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The following timeline starts with the invention of the modern computer in the late interwar period.

## Contents

* 1 1930s
* 2 1940s
* 3 1950s
* 4 1960s
* 5 1970s
* 6 1980s
* 7 See also
* 8 Notes
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## 1930s

* John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry create the first electronic non-programmable, digital computing device, the Atanasoff–Berry Computer, that lasted from 1937 to 1942.

## 1940s

* Nuclear bomb and ballistics simulations at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL), respectively.[Note 1]
* Monte Carlo simulation (voted one of the top 10 algorithms of the 20th century by Jack Dongarra and Francis Sullivan in the 2000 issue of Computing in Science and Engineering)[1] is invented at Los Alamos National Laboratory by John von Neumann, Stanislaw Ulam and Nicholas Metropolis.[2][3][4]
* First hydrodynamic simulations performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory.[5][6]
* Ulam and von Neumann introduce the notion of cellular automata.[7][8]

## 1950s

* Equations of State Calculations by Fast Computing Machines introduces the Metropolis–Hastings algorithm.[9] Also, important earlier independent work by Berni Alder and Stan Frankel.[Note 2][10][11]
* Enrico Fermi, Ulam and John Pasta with help from Mary Tsingou, discover the Fermi–Pasta–Ulam-Tsingou problem.[12]
* Research initiated into percolation theory.[13]
* Molecular dynamics is formulated by Alder and Tom E. Wainwright.[14]

## 1960s

* Using computational investigations of the 3-body problem, Michael Minovitch formulates the gravity assist method.[15][16]
* Glauber dynamics is invented for the Ising model by Roy J. Glauber.[17]
* Edward Lorenz discovers the butterfly effect on a computer, attracting interest in chaos theory.[18]
* Molecular dynamics is independently invented by Aneesur Rahman.[19]
* Walter Kohn instigates the development of density functional theory (with L.J. Sham and Pierre Hohenberg),[20][21] for which he shared the Nobel Chemistry Prize (1998).[22]
* Martin Kruskal and Norman Zabusky follow up the Fermi–Pasta–Ulam problem with further numerical experiments, and coin the term "soliton".[23][24]
* Kawasaki dynamics is invented for the Ising model.[25]
* Loup Verlet (re)discovers a numerical integration algorithm,[26] (first used in 1791 by Jean Baptiste Delambre, by P. H. Cowell and A. C. C. Crommelin in 1909, and by Carl Fredrik Störmer in 1907,[27] hence the alternative names Störmer's method or the Verlet-Störmer method) for dynamics, and the Verlet list.[26]

## 1970s

* Computer algebra replicates the work of Boris Delaunay in Lunar theory.[28][29][30][31][32]
* Martinus Veltman's calculations at CERN lead him and Gerard 't Hooft to valuable insights into renormalizability of electroweak theory.[33] The computation has been cited as a key reason for the award of the Nobel Physics Prize that has been given to both.[34]
* Jean Hardy, Yves Pomeau and Olivier de Pazzis introduce the first lattice gas model, abbreviated as the HPP model after its authors.[35][36] These later evolved into lattice Boltzmann models.
* Kenneth G. Wilson shows that continuum quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is recovered for an infinitely large lattice with its sites infinitesimally close to one another, thereby beginning lattice QCD.[37]

## 1980s

* Italian physicists Roberto Car and Michele Parrinello invent the Car–Parrinello method.[38]
* Swendsen–Wang algorithm is invented in the field of Monte Carlo simulations.[39]
* Fast multipole method is invented by Vladimir Rokhlin and Leslie Greengard (voted one of the top 10 algorithms of the 20th century).[40][41][42]
* Ullli Wolff invents the Wolff algorithm for statistical physics and Monte Carlo simulation.[43]

## See also

* Timeline of scientific computing
* Computational physics
* Important publications in computational physics

## Notes

1. ↑ Ballistic Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.
2. ↑ Unfortunately, Alder's thesis advisor was unimpressed, so Alder and Frankel delayed publication of their results until much later.

## References

1. ↑ "MATH 6140 - Top ten algorithms from the 20th Century". https://www.math.cornell.edu/~web6140/.
2. ↑ Metropolis, N. (1987). "The Beginning of the Monte Carlo method". Los Alamos Science 15: 125. http://library.lanl.gov/cgi-bin/getfile?15-12.pdf. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
3. ↑ Ulam, S.; Richtmyer, R. D.; von Neumann, J. (1947). ﻿Statistical methods in neutron diffusion﻿ (Report). Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. LAMS–551. http://library.lanl.gov/cgi-bin/getfile?00329286.pdf.
4. ↑ Metropolis, Nicholas; Ulam, S. (September 1949). "The Monte Carlo Method" (in en). Journal of the American Statistical Association 44 (247): 335–341. doi:10.1080/01621459.1949.10483310. ISSN 0162-1459. PMID 18139350. https://web.williams.edu/Mathematics/sjmiller/public_html/341Fa09/handouts/MetropolisUlam_TheMonteCarloMethod.pdf.
5. ↑ Richtmyer, R. D. (1948). ﻿Proposed Numerical Method for Calculation of Shocks﻿ (Report). Los Alamos, NM: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. LA-671.
6. ↑ VonNeumann, J.; Richtmyer, R. D. (1950-03-01). "A Method for the Numerical Calculation of Hydrodynamic Shocks" (in en). Journal of Applied Physics 21 (3): 232–237. doi:10.1063/1.1699639. ISSN 0021-8979. Bibcode: 1950JAP....21..232V. https://pubs.aip.org/jap/article/21/3/232/159292/A-Method-for-the-Numerical-Calculation-of.
7. ↑ Von Neumann, J. (1966). "Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata". in Banks, Arthur W.. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press. https://cdn.patentlyo.com/media/docs/2012/04/VonNeumann.pdf.
8. ↑ "Cellular Automaton". http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CellularAutomaton.html.
9. ↑ "Equations of State Calculations by Fast Computing Machines". Journal of Chemical Physics 21 (6): 1087-1092. 1953. doi:10.1063/1.1699114. Bibcode: 1953JChPh..21.1087M.
10. ↑ Alder, B. J., Frankel, S. P., and Lewinson, B. A., J. Chem. Phys., 23, 3 (1955).
11. ↑ Reed, Mark M.. "Stan Frankel". http://www.hp9825.com/html/stan_frankel.html. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
12. ↑ Fermi, E. (posthumously); Pasta, J.; Ulam, S. (1955) : Studies of Nonlinear Problems (accessed 25 Sep 2012). Los Alamos Laboratory Document LA-1940. Also appeared in 'Collected Works of Enrico Fermi', E. Segre ed., University of Chicago Press, Vol.II,978–988,1965. Recovered 21 December 2012
13. ↑ Broadbent, S. R.; Hammersley, J. M. (2008). "Percolation processes". Math. Proc. of the Camb. Philo. Soc.; 53 (3): 629.
14. ↑ Alder, B. J.; Wainwright, T. E. (1959). "Studies in Molecular Dynamics. I. General Method". Journal of Chemical Physics 31 (2): 459. doi:10.1063/1.1730376. Bibcode: 1959JChPh..31..459A.
15. ↑ Minovitch, Michael: "A method for determining interplanetary free-fall reconnaissance trajectories," Jet Propulsion Laboratory Technical Memo TM-312-130, pages 38-44 (23 August 1961).
16. ↑ Christopher Riley and Dallas Campbell, 22 October 2012. "The maths that made Voyager possible" . BBC News Science and Environment. Recovered 16 June 2013.
17. ↑ R. J. Glauber. "Time-dependent statistics of the Ising model, J. Math. Phys. 4 (1963), 294–307.
18. ↑ Lorenz, Edward N. (1963). "Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow". Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 20 (2): 130–141. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1963)020<0130:DNF>2.0.CO;2. Bibcode: 1963JAtS...20..130L. http://www.nd.edu/~powers/ame.60611/lorenz.article.pdf.
19. ↑ Rahman, A (1964). "Correlations in the Motion of Atoms in Liquid Argon". Phys Rev 136 (2A): A405–A41. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.136.A405. Bibcode: 1964PhRv..136..405R.
20. ↑ Kohn, Walter; Hohenberg, Pierre (1964). "Inhomogeneous Electron Gas". Physical Review 136 (3B): B864–B871. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.136.B864. Bibcode: 1964PhRv..136..864H.
21. ↑ Kohn, Walter; Sham, Lu Jeu (1965). "Self-Consistent Equations Including Exchange and Correlation Effects". Physical Review 140 (4A): A1133–A1138. doi:10.1103/PHYSREV.140.A1133. Bibcode: 1965PhRv..140.1133K.
22. ↑ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1998". Nobelprize.org. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1998/index.html. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
23. ↑ Zabusky, N. J.; Kruskal, M. D. (1965). "Interaction of 'solitons' in a collisionless plasma and the recurrence of initial states". Phys. Rev. Lett. 15 (6): 240–243. Bibcode 1965PhRvL..15..240Z. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.15.240.
24. ↑ "Definition of SOLITON". http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soliton. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
25. ↑ K. Kawasaki, "Diffusion Constants near the Critical Point for Time-Dependent Ising Models. I. Phys. Rev. 145, 224 (1966)
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Computer "Experiments" on Classical Fluids. I. Thermodynamical Properties of Lennard−Jones Molecules". Physical Review 159 (1): 98–103. 1967. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.159.98. Bibcode: 1967PhRv..159...98V.
27. ↑ Press, WH; Teukolsky, SA; Vetterling, WT; Flannery, BP (2007). "Section 17.4. Second-Order Conservative Equations". Numerical Recipes: The Art of Scientific Computing (3rd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-88068-8. http://apps.nrbook.com/empanel/index.html#pg=928.
28. ↑ Brackx, F.; Constales, D. (30 November 1991) (in en). Computer Algebra with LISP and REDUCE: An Introduction to Computer-aided Pure Mathematics. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780792314417. https://books.google.com/books?id=d7SZ8ppIUb0C&q=delaunay+computational+algebra&pg=PA3.
29. ↑ Contopoulos, George (16 June 2004) (in en). Order and Chaos in Dynamical Astronomy. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783540433606. https://books.google.com/books?id=7YkDhZCCLR4C&q=delaunay+computational+algebra+lunar&pg=PA1.
30. ↑ "Implementing a computer algebra system in Haskell". http://www.repositorio.ufop.br/bitstream/123456789/4361/1/ARTIGO_ImplementingComputerAlgebra.pdf. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
31. ↑ "Computer Algebra". http://www.mosaicsciencemagazine.org/pdf/m24_04_91_03.pdf. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
32. ↑ [1]
33. ↑ Frank Close. The Infinity Puzzle, pg 207. OUP, 2011.
34. ↑ Stefan Weinzierl:- "Computer Algebra in Particle Physics." pgs 5–7. arXiv:hep-ph/0209234. All links accessed 1 January 2012. "Seminario Nazionale di Fisica Teorica", Parma, September 2002.
35. ↑ J. Hardy, Y. Pomeau, and O. de Pazzis (1973). "Time evolution of two-dimensional model system I: invariant states and time correlation functions". Journal of Mathematical Physics, 14:1746–1759.
36. ↑ J. Hardy, O. de Pazzis, and Y. Pomeau (1976). "Molecular dynamics of a classical lattice gas: Transport properties and time correlation functions". Physical Review A, 13:1949–1961.
37. ↑ Wilson, K. (1974). "Confinement of quarks". Physical Review D 10 (8): 2445. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.10.2445. Bibcode: 1974PhRvD..10.2445W.
38. ↑ Car, R.; Parrinello, M (1985). "Unified Approach for Molecular Dynamics and Density-Functional Theory". Physical Review Letters 55 (22): 2471–2474. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.55.2471. PMID 10032153. Bibcode: 1985PhRvL..55.2471C.
39. ↑ Swendsen, R. H., and Wang, J.-S. (1987), Nonuniversal critical dynamics in Monte Carlo simulations, Phys. Rev. Lett., 58(2):86-88.
40. ↑ L. Greengard, The Rapid Evaluation of Potential Fields in Particle Systems, MIT, Cambridge, (1987).
41. ↑ Rokhlin, Vladimir (1985). "Rapid Solution of Integral Equations of Classic Potential Theory." J. Computational Physics Vol. 60, pp. 187–207.
42. ↑ L. Greengard and V. Rokhlin, "A fast algorithm for particle simulations," J. Comput. Phys., 73 (1987), no. 2, pp. 325–348.
43. ↑ Wolff, Ulli (1989), "Collective Monte Carlo Updating for Spin Systems", Physical Review Letters, 62 (4): 361

## External links

* The Monte Carlo Method: Classic Papers
* Monte Carlo Landmark Papers

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