Oliver Penrose | |
---|---|
Born | 24 February 1929 Colchester, Essex, England |
Residence | United Kingdom |
Nationality | British |
Fields | Physics |
Alma mater | Open University Heriot-Watt University University College School |
Notable students | Asghar Qadir |
Known for | interpretations of quantum mechanics direction of time physical chemistry of surfactants, statistical mechanics, phase transitions |
Notes
He is the brother of Jonathan Penrose and Roger Penrose, and son of Lionel Penrose. He is the nephew of Roland Penrose. |
Oliver Penrose FRS, FRSE (born 1929) is a British theoretical physicist.[1]
He is the son of the scientist Lionel Penrose, brother of the mathematical physicist Roger Penrose, and brother of chess master Jonathan Penrose.[2][3] He was associated for seventeen years with the Open University, and was a Professor of Mathematics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh from 1986 until his retirement in 1994. He holds the title of Professor Emeritus at Heriot-Watt, and remains active in research there. His areas of interest include statistical mechanics,[4] phase transitions in metals, and physical chemistry of surfactants. He is particularly known for the concept of off-diagonal long-range order, which is central to our present-day understanding of superfluids and superconductors. Other more abstract topics in which he has worked include understanding the physical basis for the direction of time and interpretations of quantum mechanics.[5][6][7]