astronomy

Tomlinson Holman

Tomlinson Holman 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 Tomlinson Holman rather than just read about it. In short: Tomlinson Miles Holman II (born 1946) is an American film theorist, audio engineer, and inventor of film technologies, notably Lucasfilm's THX sound system. He developed the world's first 10.2 sound system.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Tomlinson Miles Holman II (born 1946) is an American film theorist, audio engineer, and inventor of film technologies, notably Lucasfilm's THX sound system. He developed the world's first 10.2 sound system.

Career Early in his career, Holman developed what was known as the Holman Preamplifier for the APT Corporation, a former Massachusetts entity founded by Holman. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (1968). In 2002 he received the Academy Award for Technical Achievement. Specifically, for "the research and system integration resulting in the improvement of motion picture loudspeaker systems". In 2007 he received the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Award. Holman taught film and television sound at the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California from 1987 to 2011. In 2011 - 2021, Softpedia reported that Apple Inc. had employed Holman, and speculated that this was to work on audio projects.

Books Sound for Film and Television (2001) Surround Sound: Up and Running (2008)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tomlinson Holman

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tomlinson Holman 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 Tomlinson Holman 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 Tomlinson Holman 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 Tomlinson Holman

In research: Tomlinson Holman 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 Tomlinson Holman 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: Tomlinson Holman is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1946 births, Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners, American acoustical engineers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tomlinson Holman 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 Tomlinson Holman in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Tomlinson Holman in simple terms?

Why does Tomlinson Holman 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 Tomlinson Holman?

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 Tomlinson Holman.