New Theory of Flight Presented at HGS MathComp von Neumann Lecture in Heidelberg

Tomorrow I will present the new theory of flight revealing The Secret of Flight, developed together with Johan Hoffman and Johan Jansson at KTH, in the IWR-Colloquium / HGS MathComp von Neumann Lecture at the University of Heidelberg on the invitation by prof Rolf Rannacher, see poster.

At the same time I expect our article New Theory of Flight submitted to Journal of Mathematical Fluid Mechanics edited by Galdi and Rannacher, to be accepted for publication and thus be presented to the scientific world after having been rejected by Journal of AIAA.

I consider this to be the highlight of my career, having recently passed 70 and understanding that discovering a new theory resolving a main mystery of science, can happen only once in a life time.

How interesting it would have been if von Neumann could have been present, at least by Skype from somewhere out there... In any case it was with the help of the von Neumann computer that the Secret was revealed...

Here is a quote by von Neumann connecting to the presentation:

• The sciences do not try to explain, they hardly even try to interpret, they mainly make models. By a model is meant a mathematical construct which, with the addition of certain verbal interpretations, describes observed phenomena. The justification of such a mathematical construct is solely and precisely that it is expected to work - that is correctly to describe phenomena from a reasonably wide area. Furthermore, it must satisfy certain esthetic criteria - that is, in relation to how much it describes, it must be rather simple.

Von Neumann could have added that the Euler/Navier-Stokes equations for slightly viscous flow is a prime  example of a mathematical model which is simple and describes virtually all of aerodynamics.