mathematics

Justus Georg Westphal

Justus Georg Westphal 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 Justus Georg Westphal rather than just read about it. In short: Justus Georg Westphal (18 March 1824 – 9 November 1859) was a German astronomer and mathematician. Westphal is not to be confused with Johann Heinrich Westphal (1794 – 1831).

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Justus Georg Westphal (18 March 1824 – 9 November 1859) was a German astronomer and mathematician. Westphal is not to be confused with Johann Heinrich Westphal (1794 – 1831). Within the NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) he also appears to be confused with a third Westphal, "Alfred Friedrich Julius Westphal" ("Dr. A. Westphal"), a geophysicist who lived from 1 August 1850 to 1924, and who first published in 1881. J. G. Westphal is only mentioned a few times in the ADS, between 1853 and 1859.

Life Westphal was born on 18 March 1824 in Colborn near Lüchow. He received his PhD at the University of Göttingen in 1852, his thesis being published as Evolutio readicum aequationum algebraicarum e ternis terminis constantium in series infinitas. He was a student of the famous mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, who was also Director of Göttingen Observatory. During this period Westphal assisted at the observatory, where he held the title of Observator. In 1854, Westphal was appointed as a lecturer, but by the time of Gauss's death in 1855, he had resigned from his astronomical duties and had been replaced by his colleague Ernst Friedrich Wilhelm Klinkerfues. Westphal is chiefly known for discovering the periodic comet 20D/Westphal (a.k.a. 20D/1852 O1, 1852 IV, D/Westphal 1) on 24 July 1852. C. H. F. Peters independently discovered the same comet from Constantinople on 3 August. Although it returned in 1913 (20D/1913 S1, 1913 VI, 1913d), the comet failed to return in 1976 and is now considered lost. There is substantial evidence that the comet completely disintegrated before reaching perihelion during its 1913 apparition. Westphal did not discover any other comets or any asteroids, though he made many observations of asteroids and calculated the orbital elements of several. Westphal, who had suffered from poor health for much of his life, died on 9 November 1859 in Lüneburg.

References

External links NASA ADS Query for Westphal in 1800-1899 20D/Westphal cometography Yeomans, D. K. (1986). "The intermediate comets and nongravitational effects". The Astronomical Journal. 91: 971. Bibcode:1986AJ.....91..971Y. doi:10.1086/114073.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Justus Georg Westphal

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Justus Georg Westphal 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 Justus Georg Westphal 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 Justus Georg Westphal 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 Justus Georg Westphal

In research: Justus Georg Westphal 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 Justus Georg Westphal 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: Justus Georg Westphal is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1824 births, 1859 deaths, 19th-century German astronomers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Justus Georg Westphal 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.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Justus Georg Westphal in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Justus Georg Westphal 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 Justus Georg Westphal out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Justus Georg Westphal in simple terms?

Justus Georg Westphal (18 March 1824 – 9 November 1859) was a German astronomer and mathematician. Westphal is not to be confused with Johann Heinrich Westphal (1794 – 1831).

Why does Justus Georg Westphal 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 Justus Georg Westphal?

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 Justus Georg Westphal.