Peter Lax, a mathematician who bridged theoretical mathematics and practical computing to address critical Cold War challenges, passed away at his Manhattan residence on Friday at the age of 99.
His son, Dr. James D. Lax, confirmed that the cause of death was cardiac amyloidosis.
Born in Hungary, Lax was a pioneer in leveraging emerging computer technologies to expand mathematical analysis of complex systems in nature, technology, and military applications. His groundbreaking theoretical work and leadership in building advanced computing capabilities enabled novel approaches to predicting and understanding phenomena such as storm systems, shock waves, and financial market behaviors.
In 2005, Lax became the first applied mathematician awarded the prestigious Abel Prize, often regarded as the mathematics equivalent of a Nobel Prize. The award recognized his significant contributions to partial differential equations, the branch of mathematics describing dynamic and flowing processes. The prize citation hailed him as among the most versatile mathematicians of his generation.
Lax’s involvement with electronic computing originated during his wartime work on weapons development. Between 1945 and 1946, he contributed complex calculations for the atomic bomb project at Los Alamos, New Mexico.
His tenure at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences profoundly influenced the direction of computational science, advancing the application of computers to analyze intricate systems.
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