Has anyone won a physics Nobel prize for computation/simulation work?

In summary, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Kohn and Pople for their contributions to computational methods, while the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Hodkin and Huxley for their successful theoretical model. The development of computational methods and the creation of a useful theoretical model are the key factors in receiving a Nobel Prize in these fields, rather than simply performing calculations. This is exemplified by the fact that Huxley and Hodkin spent weeks and even months manually calculating their results, showing that the use of computational tools is not a requirement for Nobel recognition.
  • #1
petergreat
267
4
Just curious...
 
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  • #2
I don't think so. They get it in chemistry (Kohn and Pople) or biology (Hodkin and Huxley)
 
  • #3
None of those examples got it for doing computations, they got it for the development of computational methods and for a successful theoretical model, respectively. (The latter in medicine, there's no Nobel in biology)

I don't really see how physics, chemistry and medicine would be significantly different here. You won't get an award for performing a calculation, it has no scientific merit in itself. You can get a prize for theory, in the sense that you developed a theoretical model/method that is useful. Or you can get a prize for theory in the sense that you made a sufficiently important theoretical prediction. I don't think it's relevant whether that prediction was based on analytical or numerical calculations. Usually, when a theorist gets the prize, he's done both.
 
  • #4
alxm said:
None of those examples got it for doing computations, they got it for the development of computational methods and for a successful theoretical model, respectively. (The latter in medicine, there's no Nobel in biology)

Surely this counts as computational!

"Huxley began the slow work of using a Brunsviga 20 manually cranked calculator with numbers entered by a set of adjusting levers (projecting from the wheels that were rotated by the hand crank)." http://neuron.duke.edu/userman/2/pioneer.html

"Each run of the algorithm producing a 5 millisecond theoretical voltage trace took about 8 hours of effort. Quote from Hodgkin: The propagated action potential took about three weeks to complete and must have been an enormous labour for Andrew [Huxley]." http://www.maths.nott.ac.uk/personal/sc/cnn/CNN2B.pdf
 
  • #5


Yes, there have been several Nobel prizes awarded for work related to computation and simulation in physics. In 2013, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Peter Higgs and François Englert for their theoretical work on the Higgs boson, which was confirmed through extensive computational simulations at the Large Hadron Collider. In 2002, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John A. Pople and Walter Kohn for their contributions to the development of computational methods in quantum chemistry. And in 1998, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Horst L. Störmer, Daniel C. Tsui, and Robert B. Laughlin for their work on the fractional quantum Hall effect, which was studied using computational simulations. These are just a few examples, but there have been many other Nobel prizes awarded for work that relied heavily on computational and simulation techniques in physics.
 

FAQ: Has anyone won a physics Nobel prize for computation/simulation work?

Has anyone ever won a Nobel Prize in Physics specifically for their work in computation or simulation?

Yes, two scientists have won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in computation and simulation: Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt, and Arieh Warshel in 2013, and John Pople in 1998.

What contributions to computation or simulation earned these scientists their Nobel Prizes in Physics?

Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt, and Arieh Warshel received the Nobel Prize for their development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems. John Pople was awarded the Nobel Prize for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry.

3. Are there any other Nobel Prizes in Physics that have been awarded for work related to computation or simulation?

While no other Nobel Prizes have been specifically awarded for work in computation or simulation, many Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and theories have relied heavily on the use of these tools. For example, the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the detection of gravitational waves, which required complex simulations and data analysis.

4. Are there any other fields of science where Nobel Prizes have been awarded for computation or simulation work?

Yes, in addition to Physics, the Nobel Prize has been awarded for computation or simulation work in Chemistry and Economics. For example, in 2013, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems, a similar achievement to that of Karplus, Levitt, and Warshel in Physics.

5. How has the use of computation and simulation in scientific research changed over time, and what impact has it had on the field of Physics?

The use of computation and simulation in scientific research has greatly increased over time, allowing for more complex and accurate models and predictions. This has had a significant impact on the field of Physics, allowing for the study of systems that would otherwise be impossible to observe or manipulate. It has also led to breakthroughs in areas such as quantum mechanics, astrophysics, and nanotechnology.

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