Theodore Yaotsu Wu is a Professor Emeritus of Engineering Science at the California Institute of Technology

California Institute of Technology

The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...

. His research contribution includes compressible fluid flow, free-streamline theory of cavities, jets and wakes, water waves and free-surface flows, mechanics of fish swimming and bird/insect flight, wind and ocean-current energy, and internal waves in the ocean.

Early life

Wu was born in an educated family. His father had a degree in economics and finance, his mother graduated from high school and majored in literature, while his grandfather was a Chinese physician.

During the Japanese invasion, the Japanese airplanes flying overhead eventually inspired him to enter aeronautics in the university.

Education and career

Wu received his BSc from Chiao Tung University (1946), and spent one year teaching upon graduation. In January 1948 he arrived in the U.S. and enrolled at Iowa State University

Iowa State University

Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...

 and graduated with an MS in December the same year. After Iowa, Wu came to Caltech, where he shared an office with Julian Cole

Julian Cole

Julian David Cole was an American mathematician. He is known for his groundbreaking work in mathematical applications to aerodynamics and transonic flow, and in non-linear equations more generally...

. Wu was involved in the research group headed by Paco Lagerstrom

Paco Lagerstrom

Paco Axel Lagerstrom was an applied mathematician and aeronautical engineer. He was trained formally in mathematics, but worked for much of his career in aeronautical applications. He is known for pioneering work in applying the method of asymptotic expansion to fluid mechanics problems...

, where they developed further the asymptotic perturbation method pioneered by Ludwig Prandtl.

Wu received his PhD in (1952), subsequently worked as a research fellow at Caltech for three years, and developed interest in water waves and hydrodynamics, due to the stimulus given by Qian Xuesen and von Karman. After three years Wu became an assistant professor of applied mechanics (1955) at Caltech. In 1960, under the influence of G. I. Taylor and James Lighthill

James Lighthill

Sir Michael James Lighthill, FRS was a British applied mathematician, known for his pioneering work in the field of aeroacoustics.-Biography:...

, Wu started to work on fish locomotion and bird flight (biofluiddynamics). During his time at Caltech he has also contributed to the field of naval architecture

Naval architecture

Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a...

 and been involved in the International Towing Tank Conferences.

Wu retired in 1996, but is still very active after his retirement.

External links

• Wu at Caltech