Martin Feinberg
Encyclopedia
Martin Feinberg is an American chemical engineer
and mathematician
known for his work in chemical reaction network theory.
. In 1968, he received his PhD degree from Princeton University
. The subject of the doctoral thesis is fluid mechanics
and the advisor is William Schowalter.
After completing the PhD, he went to work at the University of Rochester
, Rochester, NY, where he was a professor of chemical engineering until 1997. He then moved to The Ohio State University
, where he serves as Richard M. Morrow Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Mathematics.
Feinberg was a Member of the Editorial Board of the Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
from 1978-1991.
that connects the graphical and algebraic structure of chemical reaction networks with their dynamic behavior
. He is best known for stating and proving the deficiency zero theorem (together with Horn and Jackson) and the deficiency one theorem. He has also articulated complete necessary and sufficient conditions for detailed balancing in mass-action systems.
More recently, Feinberg has turned his attention to problems arising from biology. Together with Gheorghe Craciun, he developed the theory of injective reaction networks and explored its implications for biochemistry. A current research focus (together with Guy Shinar) is the application of chemical reaction network theory to questions of robustness
in biochemical reaction networks.
He has also worked with Richard Lavine on foundations of classical thermodynamics.
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
known for his work in chemical reaction network theory.
Life
Born in New York, Feinberg received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1962. A year later, he obtained his master’s degree from Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. In 1968, he received his PhD degree from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. The subject of the doctoral thesis is fluid mechanics
Fluid mechanics
Fluid mechanics is the study of fluids and the forces on them. Fluid mechanics can be divided into fluid statics, the study of fluids at rest; fluid kinematics, the study of fluids in motion; and fluid dynamics, the study of the effect of forces on fluid motion...
and the advisor is William Schowalter.
After completing the PhD, he went to work at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
, Rochester, NY, where he was a professor of chemical engineering until 1997. He then moved to The Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where he serves as Richard M. Morrow Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Mathematics.
Feinberg was a Member of the Editorial Board of the Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
The Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis is a scientific journal that is devoted to research in mechanics as a deductive, mathematical science. The current editors in chief of the journal are John M. Ball and Richard D. James...
from 1978-1991.
Research
Together with F. J. M. Horn and Roy Jackson, Feinberg created chemical reaction network theory, a field of mathematicsMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
that connects the graphical and algebraic structure of chemical reaction networks with their dynamic behavior
Chemical kinetics
Chemical kinetics, also known as reaction kinetics, is the study of rates of chemical processes. Chemical kinetics includes investigations of how different experimental conditions can influence the speed of a chemical reaction and yield information about the reaction's mechanism and transition...
. He is best known for stating and proving the deficiency zero theorem (together with Horn and Jackson) and the deficiency one theorem. He has also articulated complete necessary and sufficient conditions for detailed balancing in mass-action systems.
More recently, Feinberg has turned his attention to problems arising from biology. Together with Gheorghe Craciun, he developed the theory of injective reaction networks and explored its implications for biochemistry. A current research focus (together with Guy Shinar) is the application of chemical reaction network theory to questions of robustness
Robustness (morphology)
In biology, robustness is used to describe a species with a morphology based on strength and a heavy build. The alternative morphology is the 'gracile' body type. For example, comparing similar species, rats have robust body types while mice are gracile. Male and females of the same species may...
in biochemical reaction networks.
He has also worked with Richard Lavine on foundations of classical thermodynamics.
Selected publications
- Feinberg, M. and R.B. Lavine, Foundations of the Clausius-Duhem Inequality, pp. 49–64 in New Perspectives in Thermodynamics (editor James Serrin), Springer-Verlag, Berlin- Heidelberg-New York (1986).