Ernst Hjalmar Waloddi Weibull | |
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| Born | (1887-06-18)18 June 1887[1] Vittskövle, Sweden |
| Died | 12 October 1979(1979-10-12) (aged 92)[2] Annecy, France |
| Alma mater | Royal Institute of Technology (1924),[1]University of Uppsala (1932)[1] |
| Known for | Weibull distribution Fracture mechanics[1] |
| Awards | American Society of Mechanical Engineers gold medal (1972) Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Great Gold medal (1978). |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Engineering,mathematics |
| Institutions | Royal Institute of Technology |
Ernst Hjalmar Waloddi Weibull (18 June 1887 – 12 October 1979) was a Swedishcivil engineer,materials scientist, andapplied mathematician. TheWeibull distribution is named after him.
Weibull joined theSwedish Coast Guard in 1905 as a midshipman. He moved up the ranks with promotion to sublieutenant in 1907,Captain in 1916 andMajor in 1940. While in the coast guard he took courses at theRoyal Institute of Technology. In 1924 he graduated and became a full professor.[1] He obtained hisdoctorate from theUniversity of Uppsala in 1932.[1] He was employed in Swedish andGerman industry as a consulting engineer.
In 1914, while on expeditions to theMediterranean, theCaribbean and thePacific Ocean on the research shipAlbatross, Weibull wrote his first paper on the propagation of explosive waves. He developed the technique of using explosive charges to determine the type of ocean bottomsediments and their thickness.[3] The same technique is still used today in offshoreoil exploration.
In 1939 he published his paper on theWeibull distribution in probability theory and statistics.[4][1] In 1941 he received a personal research professorship in EngineeringPhysics at theRoyal Institute of Technology inStockholm from the arms producerBofors.[1]
Weibull published many papers onstrength of materials,fatigue, rupture in solids,bearings, and of course, theWeibull distribution, as well as one book on fatigue analysis in 1961.[2][5] 27 of these papers were reports to theUS Air Force atWilbur Wright Field on Weibull analysis.
In 1951 he presented his paper on theWeibull distribution to theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), using seven case studies.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded Weibull their gold medal in 1972. The Great Gold Medal from theRoyal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences was personally presented to him byKingCarl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in 1978.[1]
Weibull came from a family that had strong ties toScania. He was a cousin of the historian brothersLauritz,Carl Gustaf andCurt Weibull. Weibull died on 12 October 1979 inAnnecy, France.[2]
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