George William Hill

views updated

George William Hill

1838-1914

American mathematician and physicist who performed landmark work in solving problems in orbital mechanics. Hill worked extensively on problems of orbits, including those of the Moon and the moons of Jupiter. His contributions to mathematical astronomy and celestial mechanics, including the very difficult three- and four-body problems, were considered major and fundamental by many leading mathematicians of the day. Hill was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and awarded the Copley medal. He was also elected President of the American Mathematical Society.

About this article

George William Hill

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article