S. M. Blinder
Seymour Michael Blinder (born March 11, 1932, in New York City, died September 4, 2024) is a professor emeritus of chemistry and physics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a remote working senior scientist with Wolfram Research in Champaign, Illinois.
Personal
[edit]He attended Cornell University and received an A.B. in physics and chemistry in 1953. He received an A.M. in physics in 1955 and a Ph.D. in chemical physics in 1958 from Harvard University under Professors W. E. Moffitt and J. H. van Vleck (Nobel Laureate in Physics 1977).
Academic positions
[edit]- Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, senior physicist, 1958–1961
- Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University), assistant professor, 1961–1962
- Harvard University, visiting professor, 1962–1963
- Visiting research fellow, University College London, 1965–1966
- Visiting research fellow, Centre de Méchanique Ondulatoire Appliquée, Paris, 1970
- Visiting research fellow, Mathematical Institute, Oxford, 1971
- University of Michigan, professor, 1963–1995
- University of Michigan, professor emeritus 1996–present
- Wolfram Research Inc., senior scientist 2007-present
Honors and awards
[edit]Blinder has received the following awards and honors:
- Phi Beta Kappa, 1953
- National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships, 1953–1955
- Guggenheim Fellowship, 1965–1966
- National Science Foundation Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1970–1971
- Rackham Research Fellowships, University of Michigan, 1966 and 1977
Interests
[edit]Research interests include: Theoretical Chemistry, Mathematical Physics, applications of quantum mechanics to atomic and molecular structure, theory and applications of Coulomb Propagators, structure and self-energy of the electron, supersymmetric quantum field theory, quantum computers.
During his academic career, S M taught a multitude of courses in graduate level Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetic Theory, Relativity, and Mathematical Physics.
Personal interests include: Playing cello, classical music, and chess (S M is a former Junior Chess Master).
Books and publications
[edit]Blinder has authored over 200 journal articles in theoretical chemistry and mathematical physics. He has also published six books:
- Advanced Physical Chemistry; A Survey of Modern Theoretical Principles (Macmillan, New York, 1969)
- Foundations of Quantum Dynamics (Academic Press, London, 1974)
- Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (Elsevier Academic Press, 2004; 2nd Edition 2020)
- Guide to Essential Math: For Students in Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering (Elsevier Academic Press, 2008; 2nd Edition 2013)
- Twenty-First Century Quantum Mechanics: Hilbert Space to Quantum Computers (Springer, 2017)
- Mathematical Physics in Theoretical Chemistry (Elsevier, 2019)
- Mathematics, Physics & Chemistry with the Wolfram Language (World Scientific, 2022)
