Hans Adolph Buchdahl 1919–2010

Abstract

Hans Buchdahl, who died in Adelaide on 7 January 2010 at the age of 90, contributed extensively to three fields of theoretical physics: geometric optics, general relativity and thermodynamics. His early work on optical aberration coefficients was motivated by a wartime need; through this work he rejuvenated a field that had been moribund for close to a century. The methods he developed underlie some of the modern analytic and numerical approaches to the design of optical instruments. He contributed to the general theory of relativity during what was known as its ‘Golden Age', and he made pedagogic contributions to the discipline of thermodynamics.