David Hestenes

David Orlin Hestenes
Born	1933
Fields	Physics
Institutions	Arizona State University
Known for	Geometric algebra
Notable awards	Oersted Medal (2002)

David Orlin Hestenes, Ph.D. (born 1933) is a physicist. For more than 30 years, he was employed in the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Arizona State University (ASU), where he retired with the rank of Research Professor and is now emeritus.

Hestenes has worked in mathematical and theoretical physics, [1] geometric algebra, neural networks, and cognitive research in science education. He is the prime mover behind the contemporary resurgence of interest in geometric algebras and in other offshoots of Clifford algebras, as ways of formalizing theoretical physics.

From 1976 to 1979, he was an Editorial Advisory Board Member (formerly called Associate Editor) of the American Journal of Physics. He is currently on the editorial board of the journal Foundations of Physics.

In 2002, the American Association of Physics Teachers awarded him its Oersted Medal for his notable contributions to the teaching of physics. He has been a Principal Investigator for NSF grants seeking to teach physics through modeling and measure student understanding of physics models at both the high school and university levels.

Selected writings

Papers introducing geometric algebra:

• Research on Geometric Calculus
• Oersted Medal Lecture on Geometric Algebra in Physics.

Books on geometric algebra and its applications:

• 1999. New Foundations for Classical Mechanics, 2nd ed. Springer Verlag.
• Books by Hestenes at Amazon.com.

Writings on pedagogy:

• Papers on Modeling Instruction.

Also see

Concept inventory

External links

• Emeritus page at ASU, user page at ASU, ASU Modeling Instruction Program page
• Zitterbewegung in Quantum Mechanics – a research program - this paper develops a self-contained dynamical model of the electron as a lightlike particle with helical zitterbewegung and electromagnetic interactions
• A Critical Role for Physicists in K-12 Science Education Reform by David Hestenes and Jane Jackson

Persondata
Name	Hestenes, David Orlin
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Date of birth	1933
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