Person
Prokhovnik, Simon James (1920 - 1994)
- Born
- 15 June 1920
Paris, France - Died
- 20 June 1994
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Occupation
- Mathematician
Summary
Simon Prokhovnik was an associate professor in mathematics at the University of New South Wales. He had a particular interest in relativity and cosmology and wrote The Logic of Special Relativity and Light in Einstein's Universe.
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Details
After a temporary stay in New Zealand, Simon Jacques Prokhovnik and his family migrated to Melbourne in 1931. Simon remained in Melbourne for the next 24 years (circa) and during this time he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and an Honours degree in chemistry (possibly biochemistry) at the University of Melbourne. In 1965 Prokhovnik received a Masters degree from the same university.
Simon Prokhovnik's employment history included two years as a clerk in the Victorian Public Service, several years working as a biochemist and analytical chemist in industry and a stint as a secondary school teacher. In 1955 Prokhovnik became lecturer in mathematics at the University of New South Wales and eventually worked his way up to Associate Professor. His main research was in the areas of relativity and cosmology and in 1967 his book The logic of Special Relativity (Melbourne University Press) was released. This established Simon Prokhovnik as an expert in the field, both nationally and internationally. Prokhovnik officially retired in 1981, but continued teach cosmology for many years afterwards. His second book Light in Einstein's Universe was released in 1985.
Chronology
- 1931
- Life event - Arrived in Australia (Melbourne)
- 1944
- Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Melbourne
- 1946
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Melbourne
- 1955 - c. 1992
- Career position - Lecturer then Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of New South Wales
- 1956 -
- Career position - Member, Royal Society of New South Wales
- 1965
- Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Melbourne
- 1981
- Life event - Retired
Published resources
Books
- Prokhovnik, Simon Jacques, The Logic of Special Relativity (Melbourne & London: Melbourne University Press & Cambridge University Press, 1967). Details
- Prokhovnik, Simon Jacques, Light in Einstein's Universe: (USA: D. Reidel Publishing Co., 1985). Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2287590. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/27149636. Details
- 'Prokhovnik, S J (1920-1994)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-518015. Details
Rosanne Walker
Created: 30 June 1997, Last modified: 5 March 2018