Kurt Binder (10 February 1944 – 27 September 2022) was an Austrian

theoretical physicist Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experimen ...

. He received his Ph.D. in 1969 at the

Technical University of Vienna TU Wien (TUW; german: Technische Universität Wien; still known in English as the Vienna University of Technology from 1975–2014) is one of the major universities in Vienna, Austria. The university finds high international and domestic recogn ...

, and his

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...

degree 1973 at the

Technical University of Munich The Technical University of Munich (TUM or TU Munich; german: Technische Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied and natural sciences. Establis ...

. He decided to accept a professorship post for

Theoretical Physics Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experim ...

at the

Saarland University Saarland University (german: Universität des Saarlandes, ) is a public research university located in Saarbrücken, the capital of the German state of Saarland. It was founded in 1948 in Homburg in co-operation with France and is organized in si ...

, having an offer from the Freie University in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

as well at the same time. From 1977 to 1983, he headed a group for Theoretical Physics in the Institute for Solid State Research at the

Forschungszentrum Jülich Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ here for short) is a national research institution that pursues interdisciplinary research in the fields of energy, information, and bioeconomy. It operates research infrastructures with a focus on supercomputers. Cu ...

, prior to taking his present post as a University Professor for

at the

University of Mainz The Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (german: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz) is a public research university in Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, named after the printer Johannes Gutenberg since 1946. With approximately 32,000 stu ...

, Germany. Since 1989 he was also an external member of the

Max-Planck-Institute The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (german: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e. V.; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of Germany, German research ins ...

for

Polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...

Physics in

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

. Since 1977, Binder was married to Marlies Ecker, with whom he had two sons. His research was in several areas of

condensed matter physics Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid phases which arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms. More generally, the sub ...

and

statistical physics Statistical physics is a branch of physics that evolved from a foundation of statistical mechanics, which uses methods of probability theory and statistics, and particularly the Mathematics, mathematical tools for dealing with large populations ...

. He was best known for pioneering the development of Monte Carlo simulations as a quantitative tool in statistical and condensed matter physics, establishing simulations as a third branch in addition to theory and experiment, and for catalyzing its application in many areas of physical research. He made very important contributions to numerous fields, ranging from

phase transition In chemistry, thermodynamics, and other related fields, a phase transition (or phase change) is the physical process of transition between one state of a medium and another. Commonly the term is used to refer to changes among the basic states of ...

s and

spin glass In condensed matter physics, a spin glass is a magnetic state characterized by randomness, besides cooperative behavior in freezing of spins at a temperature called 'freezing temperature' ''Tf''. In ferromagnetic solids, component atoms' magne ...

es to

polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...

physics. He is one of the most cited physicists worldwide. The eponymous '' Binder cumulant'' is a very important and frequently used quantity in analyzing

phase diagram A phase diagram in physical chemistry, engineering, mineralogy, and materials science is a type of chart used to show conditions (pressure, temperature, volume, etc.) at which thermodynamically distinct phases (such as solid, liquid or gaseous ...

s. Binder was a member of the

editorial board The editorial board is a group of experts, usually at a publication, who dictate the tone and direction the publication's editorial policy will take. Mass media At a newspaper, the editorial board usually consists of the editorial page editor, a ...

of several leading scientific journals as well as a member of academies of science in Austria, Bulgaria, and Germany.

Awards (selection)

Max Planck Medal The Max Planck medal is the highest award of the German Physical Society , the world's largest organization of physicists, for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics. The prize has been awarded annually since 1929, with few exceptions, ...

of the

German Physical Society The German Physical Society (German: , DPG) is the oldest organisation of physicists. The DPG's worldwide membership is cited as 60,547, as of 2019, making it the largest physics society in the world. It holds an annual conference () and multiple ...

in 1993 * Berni J. Alder CECAM Prize in 2001 * Staudinger-Durrer Prize at the

ETH Zurich (colloquially) , former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule , image = ETHZ.JPG , image_size = , established = , type = Public , budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021) , rector = Günther Dissertori , president = Joël Mesot , ac ...

in 2003 * Honorary doctoral degree of the

Marie Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...

-Sklodowska University in

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...

in 2007 *

Boltzmann Medal The Boltzmann Medal (or Boltzmann Award) is a prize awarded to physicists that obtain new results concerning statistical mechanics; it is named after the celebrated physicist Ludwig Boltzmann. The Boltzmann Medal is awarded once every three years ...

of the

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP ) is an international non-governmental organization whose mission is to assist in the worldwide development of physics, to foster international cooperation in physics, and to help in the ...

in 2007 * First fellow of the 'Gutenberg Kolleg' in

, 2007 * Honorary doctoral degree of the

University of Düsseldorf A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

in 2013 * Polymer Physics Prize of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

in 2020

Books

* (as editor:) ''Monte Carlo methods in statistical physics''. Springer, Berlin 'etc.''1979, ISBN 3-540-09018-5; 2nd edition, 1986, ISBN 3-540-16514-2 * (as editor:) ''Applications of the Monte Carlo method in statistical physics''. Berlin, Springer 'etc.''1984, ISBN 3-540-12764-X; 2nd edition, 1987, ISBN 3-540-17650-0 * with Dieter W. Heermann: ''Monte Carlo simulation in statistical physics. An introduction.'' Springer, Berlin 'etc.''1988, ISBN 3-540-19107-0; 5th edition, 2010, ISBN 978-3-642-03162-5 * (as editor:) ''The Monte Carlo Method in Condensed Matter Physics''. Springer, Berlin 'etc.''1992, ISBN 3-540-54369-4; 2nd edition, 1995, ISBN 3-540-60174-0 * ''Theories and mechanism of phase transitions, heterophase polymerizations, homopolymerization, addition polymerization''. Springer, Berlin 'etc.''1994, ISBN 3-540-57236-8 * (as editor:) ''Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Polymer Science''. Oxford University Press, New York 1995, ISBN 0-19-509438-7 * with David P. Landau: ''A Guide to Monte Carlo Simulations in Statistical Physics.'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 'etc.''2000, ; 3rd edition, 2009, * ''Computer-Simulation von Flüssigkeiten und Festkörpern''. Steiner, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-515-08753-2 * with Walter Kob: ''Glassy materials and disordered solids. An introduction to their statistical mechanics.'' World Scientific, New Jersey, NJ 'etc.''2005, ISBN 981-256-510-8; 2nd edition, 2011, ISBN 978-981-4273-44-2 * (as editor:) ''Statistical mechanics of polymers. New developments. Selected contributions from the conference in Moscow (Russia), 6–11 June 2006'' (= Macromolecular symposia, vol. 252). Wiley-VCH, Weinheim 2007

References

External links

Homepage at University of Mainz

Recipients of the Staudinger-Durrer prize

{{DEFAULTSORT:Binder, Kurt 1944 births 2022 deaths People from Korneuburg 20th-century Austrian physicists Academic staff of Saarland University Academic staff of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Technical University of Munich alumni TU Wien alumni Members of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Corresponding Members of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Members of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Winners of the Max Planck Medal