Kenneth G. Wilson | |
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| Born | Kenneth Geddes Wilson June 8, 1936 |
| Died | June 15, 2013 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) California Institute of Technology (PhD) |
| Known for | Lattice field theory Lattice QCD Numerical renormalization group Operator product expansion Wilson action Wilson ERGE Wilson fermion Wilson loops Wilson ratio Ginsparg–Wilson equation |
| Awards | Heineman Prize (1973) Boltzmann Medal (1975) Wolf Prize in Physics (1980) Franklin Medal (1982) Nobel Prize in Physics (1982) Eringen Medal (1984) UNSW Dirac Medal (1989) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics |
| Institutions | Cornell University (1963–1988) Ohio State University (1988–2008) |
| Thesis | An investigation of the Low equation and the Chew-Mandelstam equations (1961) |
| Doctoral advisor | Murray Gell-Mann[1] |
| Doctoral students | H. R. Krishnamurthy Roman Jackiw Michael Peskin Serge Rudaz Paul Ginsparg Steven R. White[1] |
Kenneth Geddes "Ken" Wilson (June 8, 1936 – June 15, 2013) was an American theoretical physicist and a pioneer in using computers for studying particle physics. He was awarded the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on phase transitions—illuminating the subtle essence of phenomena like melting ice and emerging magnetism. It was embodied in his fundamental work on the renormalization group.