Jim Kelliher
Department of Mathematics,
University of California, Riverside
Dr. Kelliher studies mathematical problems of fluid motion, especially singular limits involving the Navier-Stokes equations, Euler equations, and other equations of fluid mechanics. Much of his research has focused on the interaction of a nearly incompressible fluid, such as air or water, with a boundary. It is known that in a thin layer near the boundary, such a fluid makes a sharp transition from that of "free space" to that of a highly viscous fluid constrained by the boundary. A mathematically precise understanding of this transition, however, has not advanced far beyond that hypothesized by Ludwig Prandtl in 1905. Yet such an understanding is critical in many applications, including the design of aircraft wings and explaining why a breaking ball breaks.