Mathematical research at the Aeronautical Research Laboratories 1939–1960

Abstract

The Aeronautical Research Laboratories were established in Australia in 1939 as the CSIR Division of Aeronautics. Mathematicians were amongst the first staff employed, and their number reached a peak in the mid 1950s. They were an able group: in their subsequent careers 12 became Professors, 5 obtained higher doctorates, 6 became Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science and 6 Fellows of the Royal Society. They published over 100 papers, and these are discussed here under 11 separate headings.The length of discussion given here to the various areas of research is not uniform. I have emphasised those with which I am familiar and those that interest me personally. Nevertheless, I believe the present paper provides an accurate picture of the mathematical research that was carried out at ARL during the period under review, and makes it clear that mathematicians at ARL made substantial contributions to many areas of theoretical aeronautics.