John Knox (meteorologist)

John Knox is a meteorologist who received media attention for discussing ways of calculating the mathematical constant "e", together with Harlan J. Brothers.

In 1997, Brothers sent some college-level expression for "e" to National Public Radio's program "Science Friday".cite web|title=Ivars Petersons MathTrek — Hunting e|url=http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_11_9_98.html|accessmonthday=February 15|accessyear= 2008|format=HTML] Knox's wife Pam told them to Knox, who confirmed themcite web|title=To "e" or Not To "e"? That's a Constant Question|url=http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=25350|accessmonthday=February 15|accessyear= 2008|format=HTML] . Together, they derived several formulae to calculate "e". The formulae involve applying Bernoulli's standard result that (1 + 1/"n") ^"n" approximates "e" when "n" becomes large, to the formula $scriptstyle\; e\; ,\; equiv\; ,\; e^\{1/2\}/e^\{-1/2\}$, which is the basis of the popular bilinear transform. For example, they appeared to consider it a breakthrough to choose to evaluate this for "n" = 2 ^{"x" + 1}. Numerical analysts do not consider their formulae to be competitive with the current state of the art.

Knox went to college at Columbia University and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and has taught meteorology at Valparaiso University in Indiana.

Currently, Knox writes books about meteorology, such as "Meteorology: Understanding the Atmosphere".cite web|title=Barnes & Noble.com — Books: Meteorology, by Steven A. Ackerman, Paperback, 2ND PKG|url=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?r=1&ean=9780495108924|accessmonthday=February 15|accessyear= 2008|format=HTML]

Knox is currently an Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science in the Geography Department at the University of Georgia.

References