astronomy

Max A. Woodbury

Max A. Woodbury is a astronomy 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 Max A. Woodbury rather than just read about it. In short: Max Atkin Woodbury (1917–2010) was an American mathematician. He was born in St George, Utah to Angus Munn Woodbury and Grace (Atkin) Woodbury.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Max Atkin Woodbury (1917–2010) was an American mathematician. He was born in St George, Utah to Angus Munn Woodbury and Grace (Atkin) Woodbury. He had three brothers and two sisters, including the biologists Dixon Miles Woodbury and John Walter Woodbury.

Career He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah in 1939, Master of Science from the University of Michigan in 1941 and metrology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He obtained his doctorate at the University of Michigan in 1948 advised by Arthur Herbert Copeland. His dissertation was entitled Probability and Expected Values. He was a member of the faculty, University of Michigan 1947-1949, Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton 1949-1950, member of faculty Princeton University 1950-1952. He moved to be an associate professor in statistics at the University of Pennsylvania from 1952-1954. After a brief leave at the Office of Naval Research 1954-1956, he became faculty at New York University from 1956-1965, then a professor of computer science and biomathematics at Duke University. He became an emeritus professor at Duke, but continued to take an active role in research for many years.

Woodbury identity The Woodbury matrix identity used in linear algebra is named after him. The related Sherman–Morrison formula is a special case of the formula, with the term Sherman-Morrison-Woodbury sometimes used. An early overview of some of its uses has been given by Hager, see also the book "Woodbury Matrix Identity". These methods are taught in many mathematics courses on linear algebra.

Awards Fellow, 1960, American Statistical Association Honored Fellow, Institute of Mathematical Statistics

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Max A. Woodbury

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Max A. Woodbury claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 Max A. Woodbury 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 Max A. Woodbury 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 Max A. Woodbury

In research: Max A. Woodbury appears in astronomy 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 Max A. Woodbury 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: Max A. Woodbury is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1917 births, 2010 deaths, American mathematician stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Max A. Woodbury 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 Max A. Woodbury in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Max A. Woodbury in simple terms?

Max Atkin Woodbury (1917–2010) was an American mathematician. He was born in St George, Utah to Angus Munn Woodbury and Grace (Atkin) Woodbury.

Why does Max A. Woodbury matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Max A. Woodbury?

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 Max A. Woodbury.