James J. Stoker

James Johnston Stoker (March 2, 1905 – October 19, 1992) was an American applied mathematician and engineer. He was director of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and is considered one of the founders of the institute, Courant and Friedrichs being the others. Stoker is known for his work in differential geometry and theory of water waves. He is also the author of the now classic book Water Waves: The Mathematical Theory with Applications.

Career Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stoker started his career as a mining engineer. In the 1930s, he went to Zürich to pursue a doctorate in mechanics at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. One of the first courses he took there was by Heinz Hopf on geometry. Stoker was so impressed by the subject, and the teacher, that he switched his doctoral programme to differential geometry. In 1970, Stoker received the Timoshenko Medal in recognition of distinguished contributions to the field of applied mechanics.

Books Differential Geometry, Wiley-Interscience (1989). Water Waves: The Mathematical Theory with Applications, Wiley-Interscience (1957). 1992 pbk reprint

Stoker's book on "Water Waves" is a significant work which summarises the state of knowledge in water wave theory in 1957. The focus is on linear wave theory. Nonlinear Vibrations in Mechanical and Electrical Systems, Wiley-Interscience (1950).