mathematics

Jerry Kevorkian

Jerry Kevorkian is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Jerry Kevorkian rather than just read about it. In short: Jirair "Jerry" Kevorkian (May 14, 1933 – November 9, 2021) was an American applied mathematician and a founding member of the University of Washington's Department of Applied Mathematics. He was recognized for his contributions to asymptotic analysis, perturbation theory, and their applications in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics.

Key takeaways

Jerry Kevorkian belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Jerry Kevorkian to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Jerry Kevorkian from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Jirair "Jerry" Kevorkian (May 14, 1933 – November 9, 2021) was an American applied mathematician and a founding member of the University of Washington's Department of Applied Mathematics. He was recognized for his contributions to asymptotic analysis, perturbation theory, and their applications in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics. Kevorkian co-authored textbooks on multiple scale perturbation methods and partial differential equations.

Early life and education Jerry Kevorkian was born in Jerusalem on May 14, 1933. He earned his Bachelor’s (1955) and Master’s (1956) degrees in aeronautical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. After working as an aerodynamist at General Dynamics and Convair, he pursued a Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology under the supervision of Julian Cole. He completed his dissertation, *The Uniformly Valid Asymptotic Approximations to the Solutions of Certain Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations*, in 1961.

Academic career Kevorkian joined the faculty at the University of Washington in 1964 as an assistant professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics. In 1971, he became a full professor with joint appointments in Applied Mathematics and Aeronautics. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Department of Applied Mathematics at UW, serving as one of its first chairs.

Research contributions Kevorkian was an expert on asymptotic methods and perturbation theory. His research contributions include:

Multiple Scale Perturbation Methods: Co-authored with Julian Cole a seminal textbook on multiple scale analysis that remains foundational in applied mathematics. Green's Function Approaches to PDEs: Authored a widely used textbook on Green's function methods for solving partial differential equations. Critical Inclination Problem: Contributed to solutions for satellite trajectories under critical inclination conditions using singular perturbation techniques.

Selected publications Multiple Scale and Singular Perturbation Methods (with Julian Cole) Partial Differential Equations: Analytical Solution Technique

References

External links Remembering Professor Jerry Kevorkian - UW Applied Math History of UW Applied Mathematics

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jerry Kevorkian

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jerry Kevorkian claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Jerry Kevorkian before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Jerry Kevorkian ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Jerry Kevorkian

In research: Jerry Kevorkian appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Jerry Kevorkian in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Jerry Kevorkian is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1933 births, 2021 deaths, Aerodynamicists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jerry Kevorkian outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Jerry Kevorkian in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jerry Kevorkian means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Jerry Kevorkian out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jerry Kevorkian in simple terms?

Why does Jerry Kevorkian matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Jerry Kevorkian?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Jerry Kevorkian.