Sir Hermann Bondi - Early life, Theoretical work, Other work, Personal life

Mathematical physicist, astronomer, and cosmologist, born in Vienna, Austria. He studied at Cambridge, where he held academic posts (1945–54) after working for the British Admiralty during World War 2. He was appointed professor of mathematics at King's College, London (1954), director-general of the European Space Research Organisation (1967–71), chief scientific adviser, Ministry of Defence (1971–7), chief scientist, Department of Energy (1977–80), chairman of the Natural Environment Research Council (1980–4), and Master of Churchill College, Cambridge (1983–90). With Thomas Gold and Fred Hoyle, he is best known as one of the originators of the steady-state theory of the universe. His books included Cosmology (1952), The Universe at Large (1961), Relativity and Common Sense (1964), and his autobiography Science, Churchill and Me (1990). He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1959 and his many honours include the Gold Medal of the Einstein Society (1983) and the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (2001). He was knighted in 1973.

Professor Sir Hermann Bondi, KCB , FRS (1 November 1919–10 September 2005) was an Anglo-Austrian mathematician and cosmologist. He is best known for developing the steady-state theory of the universe with Fred Hoyle and Thomas Gold as an alternative to the Big Bang theory, but his most lasting legacy will probably be his important contributions to the theory of general relativity.

Early life

Bondi was born in Austria, the son of a medical doctor.

In the early years of World War II, he was interned on the Isle of Man and in Canada as an enemy alien.

Bondi lectured in mathematics at the University of Cambridge from 1945 to 1954.

Theoretical work

In 1948, Bondi, Hoyle and Gold formulated the steady-state theory, which holds that the universe is contantly expanding but matter is constantly created to form new stars and galaxies to maintain a constant average density.

Bondi was a major contributor to the golden age of general relativity (roughly 1960-1975). He was one of the first to correctly appreciate the nature of gravitational radiation, introducing Bondi radiation coordinates, the Bondi k-calculus, and the notion of Bondi mass, and writing influential review articles. Bondi also contributed to the theory of accretion of matter from a cloud of gas onto a star or a black hole, working with Raymond Lyttleton and giving his name to "Bondi accretion" and the "Bondi radius".

He became a professor at King's College London in 1954, and was given the title of Emeritus Professor there in 1985.

Other work

Bondi was also active outside the confines of academic lecturing and research. He held many positions:

Director-General of the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO)(1967–1971) (which later became the European Space Agency, ESA) Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence (1971-1977) Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Energy (1977–1980) Chairman of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (1980–1984) President of the Society for Research into Higher Education (1981–1997) President of the Hydrographic Society (1985–1987) Master of Churchill College, Cambridge (1983–1990).

He became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1959 and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Bath in 1973. He was awarded the Einstein Society Gold Medal in 1983, the Gold Medal of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications in 1988, the G.D.

His report into the flooding of London in 1953 lead eventually to the building of the Thames Barrier.

His papers from 1940 to 2000 are archived in 109 archive boxes by the Janus Project in Cambridge.

Personal life

His parents were Jewish, but he never "felt the need for religion" and was a lifelong humanist.

He married his wife, Christine, in 1947;