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Nicholas Metropolis

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playing poker. They played for very small sums, but: "Metropolis once described what a triumph it was to win ten dollars from John von Neumann, author of a famous treatise on game theory. He then bought his book for five dollars and pasted the other five inside the cover as a symbol of his victory."
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thought this acronym too frivolous; Metropolis claims to have chosen the name "MANIAC" in the hope of stopping the rash of such acronyms for machine names, but may have instead further stimulated such use.) From 1957 to 1965 he was a full professor of physics at the University of Chicago and was the
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In applications of the Monte Carlo method to problems in statistical mechanics prior to the introduction of the Metropolis algorithm, a large number of random configurations of the system would be generated, the properties of interest (such as energy or density) would be computed for each
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He arrived in Los Alamos in April 1943, as a member of the original staff of fifty scientists. He came back to Los Alamos in 1948 to lead the group in the Theoretical Division that designed and built the
338: 295:, he returned to the faculty of the University of Chicago as an assistant professor. He came back to Los Alamos in 1948 to lead the group in the theoretical division that designed and built the 42: 1165:; von Neumann's first hands-on experience with punched card equipment; his contributions to shock-fitting and the implosion problem; interactions between and comparisons of von Neumann and 1157:'s work in computing. Most of the interview concerns activity at Los Alamos: how von Neumann came to consult at the laboratory; his scientific contacts there, including Metropolis, 313: 639:
Metropolis had a son, Christopher, and two daughters, Penelope and Katharine. He was an avid skier and tennis player until his mid-seventies. He died at a nursing home in
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N. Metropolis; A.W. Rosenbluth; M.N. Rosenbluth; A.H. Teller & E. Teller (1953). "Equation of State Calculations by Fast Computing Machines".
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Nicolas Metropolis was born on June 11, 1915, in Chicago, US. Metropolis received his BSc (1936) and PhD in chemical physics (1941) at the
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against the MANIAC, a simplified version of the game without bishops. The computer still needed about 20 minutes between moves.
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The Nicholas Metropolis Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Work in Computational Physics is awarded annually by the
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In recent years a controversy has arisen as to whether Metropolis actually made significant contributions to the
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In another passage of his book, Ulam describes Metropolis as "a Greek-American with a wonderful personality."
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MANIAC project leader Nicholas Metropolis (standing) and the MANIAC’s chief engineer Jim Richardson in 1953.
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computer to perform simulations of a nuclear core in 1948. In 1953 Metropolis co-authored a paper entitled
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At Los Alamos in the late 1940s and early 1950s a group of researchers led by Metropolis, including
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Nicholas Metropolis Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Work in Computational Physics
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and von Neumann; work on numerical methods for non-linear problems; and the
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Instead of choosing configurations randomly, then weighting them with exp(−
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Computing and Computers -- Weapons Simulation Leads to the Computer Era
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S. M. Ulam, Adventures of a mathematician, California University press
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and introduced a new Monte Carlo computational method for doing so.
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Metropolis received his BSc (1937) and PhD in physics (1941, with
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1993 Audio Interview with Nicholas Metropolis by Richard Rhodes
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computer in 1952 that was modeled on the IAS machine, and the
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remembers that a small group, including himself, Metropolis,
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recruited him from Chicago, where he was collaborating with
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on "electromechanical devices used for hand computations".
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The History of Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing
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Equation of State Calculations by Fast Computing Machines
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computed where the weight of each configuration was its
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Haigh, Thomas; Priestley, Mark; Rope, Crispin (2014).
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(October 2000). 621:Metropolis played the part of a scientist in the 600:Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1208: 584:Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 551:The algorithm for generating samples from the 939: 937: 786:Metropolis, Nicholas Constantine (1915–1999) 810:"Obituary: Nicholas Constantine Metropolis" 246: 994: 573: 40: 934: 833: 739: 299:computer in 1952 that was modeled on the 1297:Fellows of the American Physical Society 1262:Los Alamos National Laboratory personnel 356:Paul Stein and Nicholas Metropolis play 1184:Francis Harlow and Nicolas Metropolis. 908:IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 895: 893: 879:The Beginning of the Monte Carlo Method 14: 1209: 1197:Metropolis, Monte Carlo and the MANIAC 796: 794: 227:on the first nuclear reactors, to the 580:American Academy of Arts and Sciences 365: 286: 1227:20th-century American mathematicians 890: 791: 788:Eric Weisstein's World of Biography 594:. Metropolis was also awarded the 559:and has become widely known as the 267:recruited him from Chicago for the 24: 25: 1313: 1252:20th-century Greek mathematicians 1181:calculations done for Los Alamos. 1126: 1292:American people of Greek descent 1237:20th-century American physicists 634: 616: 349: 337: 321: 255:. During his PhD he worked with 1135:Voices of the Manhattan Project 1111: 1093: 1084: 1061: 1046: 740:ΒΑΡΒΟΓΛΗΣ, Χ (March 16, 2008). 683: 578:Metropolis was a member of the 568:Equation of State Calculations 314:Institute for Computer Research 263:. Shortly afterwards, in 1943, 188:Nicholas Constantine Metropolis 53:Nicholas Constantine Metropolis 1151:Los Alamos National Laboratory 1035: 995:Gubernatis, J. E. (May 2005). 988: 871: 842: 779: 733: 696:to have an Erdős number of 3. 330:Los Alamos National Laboratory 229:Los Alamos National Laboratory 176:Los Alamos National Laboratory 13: 1: 1282:University of Chicago faculty 1257:20th-century Greek physicists 726: 588:American Mathematical Society 561:Metropolis–Hastings algorithm 129:Metropolis–Hastings algorithm 1277:University of Chicago alumni 1232:American computer scientists 675:, spent several evenings at 646: 7: 946:Journal of Chemical Physics 699: 10: 1318: 1272:Monte Carlo methodologists 1068:Nick Metropolis dead at 84 602:, and was a fellow of the 400:configuration, and then a 196: 1287:Santa Fe Institute people 1247:Greek computer scientists 1169:; and the development of 1147:Charles Babbage Institute 1101:"My Erdős Number is Five" 611:American Physical Society 604:American Physical Society 555:was later generalized by 541:) and weight them evenly. 442:{\displaystyle e^{-E/kT}} 312:founding director of its 181: 171: 157: 150: 137: 111: 101: 78: 48: 39: 32: 1267:Manhattan Project people 742: 592:University of California 247:Early life and education 574:Associations and honors 1171:Monte Carlo techniques 767:Cite journal requires 641:Los Alamos, New Mexico 553:Boltzmann distribution 549: 511: 487: 463: 443: 215:. Shortly afterwards, 142:Computer Pioneer Award 27:American mathematician 523: 512: 488: 464: 444: 328:Metropolis's wartime 271:, where he worked in 253:University of Chicago 213:University of Chicago 106:University of Chicago 920:10.1109/MAHC.2014.40 692:of 2 and he enabled 501: 477: 453: 412: 197:Νικόλαος Μητρόπουλος 1302:People from Chicago 1053:Nicholas Metropolis 1013:2005PhPl...12e7303G 958:1953JChPh..21.1087M 887:, No. 15, Page 125. 877:Nicolas Metropolis. 826:2000PhT....53j.100B 721:Von Neumann paradox 546:Metropolis et al., 124:Simulated annealing 34:Nicholas Metropolis 1201:Los Alamos Science 1195:Herbert Anderson. 1190:Los Alamos Science 1073:2008-11-07 at the 1001:Physics of Plasmas 884:Los Alamos Science 867:. 30 October 2017. 688:Metropolis has an 628:Husbands and Wives 519:Boltzmann constant 507: 483: 459: 439: 380:Monte Carlo method 366:Monte Carlo method 287:After World War II 265:Robert Oppenheimer 217:Robert Oppenheimer 119:Monte Carlo method 1021:10.1063/1.1887186 966:10.1063/1.1699114 835:10.1063/1.1325208 716:Colossus computer 510:{\displaystyle k} 486:{\displaystyle T} 462:{\displaystyle E} 269:Manhattan Project 185: 184: 152:Scientific career 146: 16:(Redirected from 1309: 1203:No. 14, Page 69. 1192:No. 7, Page 132. 1159:Robert Richtmyer 1155:John von Neumann 1120: 1115: 1109: 1108: 1097: 1091: 1088: 1082: 1065: 1059: 1050: 1044: 1039: 1033: 1032: 992: 986: 985: 952:(6): 1087–1092. 941: 932: 931: 905: 897: 888: 875: 869: 868: 846: 840: 839: 837: 798: 789: 783: 777: 776: 770: 765: 763: 755: 753: 751: 746:. Athens, Greece 737: 651:In his memoirs, 547: 516: 514: 513: 508: 492: 490: 489: 484: 468: 466: 465: 460: 448: 446: 445: 440: 438: 437: 430: 406:Boltzmann factor 402:weighted average 378:, developed the 372:John von Neumann 358:Los Alamos chess 353: 341: 325: 309:John von Neumann 199: 198: 144: 85: 82:October 17, 1999 62: 60: 44: 30: 29: 21: 1317: 1316: 1312: 1311: 1310: 1308: 1307: 1306: 1242:Greek academics 1207: 1206: 1141:, Conducted by 1129: 1124: 1123: 1116: 1112: 1105:barbecuejoe.com 1099: 1098: 1094: 1089: 1085: 1081:. Oct 19, 1999. 1075:Wayback Machine 1066: 1062: 1051: 1047: 1040: 1036: 993: 989: 942: 935: 898: 891: 876: 872: 857: 854:Wayback Machine 847: 843: 820:(10): 100–101. 799: 792: 784: 780: 768: 766: 757: 756: 749: 747: 744: 738: 734: 729: 702: 694:Richard Feynman 686: 649: 637: 619: 576: 548: 545: 502: 499: 498: 478: 475: 474: 454: 451: 450: 426: 419: 415: 413: 410: 409: 368: 361: 354: 345: 342: 333: 326: 289: 281:Richard Feynman 257:Robert Mulliken 249: 209:Robert Mulliken 133: 102:Alma mater 97: 96:, United States 87: 83: 74: 73:, United States 64: 58: 56: 55: 54: 35: 28: 23: 22: 18:Nick Metropolis 15: 12: 11: 5: 1315: 1305: 1304: 1299: 1294: 1289: 1284: 1279: 1274: 1269: 1264: 1259: 1254: 1249: 1244: 1239: 1234: 1229: 1224: 1219: 1205: 1204: 1193: 1182: 1143:William Aspray 1136: 1128: 1127:External links 1125: 1122: 1121: 1110: 1092: 1083: 1060: 1045: 1034: 987: 933: 889: 870: 841: 790: 778: 769:|journal= 731: 730: 728: 725: 724: 723: 718: 713: 708: 701: 698: 685: 682: 653:Stanislaw Ulam 648: 645: 636: 633: 618: 615: 575: 572: 543: 506: 482: 458: 436: 433: 429: 425: 422: 418: 376:Stanislaw Ulam 367: 364: 363: 362: 355: 348: 346: 343: 336: 334: 327: 320: 288: 285: 273:Harold C. 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Hastings 554: 542: 540: 536: 532: 528: 522: 520: 504: 496: 480: 472: 456: 434: 431: 427: 423: 420: 416: 407: 403: 397: 395: 391: 390: 385: 381: 377: 373: 359: 352: 347: 340: 335: 331: 324: 319: 318: 317: 315: 310: 306: 302: 298: 294: 284: 282: 278: 277:Edward Teller 274: 270: 266: 262: 258: 254: 244: 242: 238: 232: 230: 226: 225:Edward Teller 222: 218: 214: 210: 205: 203: 193: 189: 180: 177: 174: 170: 167: 166:Mathematician 163: 160: 156: 153: 149: 143: 140: 136: 130: 127: 125: 122: 120: 117: 116: 114: 110: 107: 104: 100: 95: 91: 81: 77: 72: 68: 63:June 11, 1915 51: 47: 43: 38: 31: 19: 1200: 1189: 1167:Enrico Fermi 1153:, discusses 1113: 1104: 1095: 1086: 1078: 1063: 1048: 1037: 1004: 1000: 990: 949: 945: 914:(3): 42–63. 911: 907: 882: 873: 862: 850:Ghostarchive 848:Archived at 844: 817: 813: 781: 760:cite journal 748:. Retrieved 735: 690:Erdős number 687: 684:Erdős number 665:Kistiakowsky 650: 638: 626: 620: 608: 577: 567: 565: 550: 538: 534: 530: 526: 524: 398: 387: 369: 332:badge photo. 293:World War II 290: 261:James Franck 250: 233: 221:Enrico Fermi 206: 187: 186: 172:Institutions 151: 84:(1999-10-17) 1222:1999 deaths 1217:1915 births 1175:Alan Turing 750:December 6, 706:Stochastics 673:von Neumann 623:Woody Allen 495:temperature 301:IAS machine 1211:Categories 727:References 677:Los Alamos 661:Konopinski 307:in 1957. ( 303:, and the 94:New Mexico 90:Los Alamos 59:1915-06-11 1029:1070-664X 647:Anecdotes 421:− 305:MANIAC II 243:in 1957. 241:MANIAC II 211:) at the 202:physicist 162:Physicist 1071:Archived 928:17470931 859:"MANIAC" 852:and the 700:See also 631:(1992). 586:and the 544:—  449:, where 297:MANIAC I 237:MANIAC I 71:Illinois 1009:Bibcode 982:1046577 974:4390578 954:Bibcode 864:YouTube 822:Bibcode 598:by the 570:paper. 517:is the 493:is the 469:is the 67:Chicago 1161:, and 1027:  980:  972:  926:  669:Teller 657:Calkin 582:, the 497:, and 471:energy 394:liquid 291:After 158:Fields 145:(1984) 138:Awards 1179:ENIAC 978:S2CID 924:S2CID 711:ENIAC 625:film 384:ENIAC 192:Greek 1057:IMDb 1025:ISSN 970:OSTI 773:help 752:2012 671:and 374:and 223:and 79:Died 49:Born 1145:at 1055:at 1017:doi 962:doi 916:doi 830:doi 1213:: 1199:. 1188:. 1103:. 1077:. 1023:. 1015:. 1005:12 1003:. 999:. 976:. 968:. 960:. 950:21 948:. 936:^ 922:. 912:36 910:. 906:. 892:^ 881:. 861:. 856:: 828:. 818:53 816:. 812:. 804:; 793:^ 764:: 762:}} 758:{{ 667:, 663:, 659:, 643:. 613:. 606:. 563:. 539:kT 531:kT 473:, 408:, 231:. 204:. 194:: 164:, 92:, 69:, 1107:. 1031:. 1019:: 1011:: 984:. 964:: 956:: 930:. 918:: 838:. 832:: 824:: 775:) 771:( 754:. 537:/ 535:E 529:/ 527:E 505:k 481:T 457:E 435:T 432:k 428:/ 424:E 417:e 190:( 61:) 57:( 20:)

Index

Nick Metropolis

Chicago
Illinois
Los Alamos
New Mexico
University of Chicago
Monte Carlo method
Simulated annealing
Metropolis–Hastings algorithm
Computer Pioneer Award
Physicist
Mathematician
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Greek
physicist
Robert Mulliken
University of Chicago
Robert Oppenheimer
Enrico Fermi
Edward Teller
Los Alamos National Laboratory
MANIAC I
MANIAC II
University of Chicago
Robert Mulliken
James Franck
Robert Oppenheimer
Manhattan Project
Harold C. Urey

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