A 1958 conjecture concerning matrix representations for third-order hyperbolic polynomials defined much of Peter Lax's career, remaining unproven for four decades. This Hungarian-born mathematician, a member of the influential group known as The Martians, spent his professional life bridge-building between pure mathematics and high-stakes scientific computing, leaving a legacy of theorems and methods that survive long past their initial application.
From Budapest to the Manhattan Project
Born in Budapest in 1926 to parents Klara Kornfield and Henry Lax, he moved to the United States in 1941. After attending Stuyvesant High School, his education was interrupted by the U.S. Army. He served at the Los Alamos laboratory during the Manhattan Project between 1945 and 1946, a period that grounded his later work in applied mathematics and physics. He completed his undergraduate credits across four institutions before earning a PhD from New York University in 1949 under the supervision of Kurt O. Friedrichs.
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Lax gained recognition for his contributions to the theory of hyperbolic partial differential equations. His work provided critical insights into shock waves, aerodynamic design, and weather forecasting. He was instrumental in establishing the reliability of numerical approximations, notably through the Lax equivalence theorem. In 1954, he worked with colleagues at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to assess nuclear reactor safety using early supercomputers, demonstrating the practical utility of his mathematical frameworks.
Academic Leadership and the CDC 6600
For much of his career, Lax was based at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, serving as its director from 1972 to 1980. His tenure was marked by both institutional expansion and high-pressure events. In 1970, he successfully intervened to disable incendiary devices planted by protesters attempting to destroy the CDC 6600 supercomputer, which he had helped acquire for the institute's research operations.
Mathematical Contributions and Recognition
His name is attached to numerous fundamental concepts, including the Lax–Wendroff method, the Lax–Friedrichs method, and the Lax–Phillips semigroup, which remains essential for modern radar signal processing. His rigorous output earned him the Abel Prize in 2005, the Wolf Prize in 1987, and the National Medal of Science in 1986. He remained active in the academic community until his death in Manhattan on 16 May 2025 at age 99.
Fast facts
- Born: 1926, Budapest
- Died: 2025, Manhattan
- PhD: New York University, 1949
- Director, Courant Institute: 1972-1980
- Abel Prize: 2005
- National Medal of Science: 1986
- Citizenship: Hungary, United States
- Member of The Martians
Questions readers ask
What was the Lax conjecture?
It was a 1958 conjecture regarding matrix representations for third-order hyperbolic polynomials that was eventually proven true in 2003.
Did Peter Lax work on the Manhattan Project?
Yes, he served at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project from 1945 to 1946 and again from 1950 to 1951.
Achievements
- Chauvenet Prize — 1974
- Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied Mathematics — 1975
- National Medal of Science — 1986
- Wolf Prize in Mathematics — 1987
- Leroy P. Steele Prize — 1992
- Notable work: Lax equivalence theorem
- Notable work: Beurling–Lax theorem
- Notable work: Babuška–Lax–Milgram theorem
- Notable work: Lions–Lax–Milgram theorem
- Held posts at New York University, Manhattan Project and Manhattan Project
