麦克斯韦对离散结构布局优化贡献时间的一桩公案  

ERRORS IN THE LITERATURE ON MAXWELL CONTRIBUTION TIME TO LAYOUT OPTIMIZATION OF DISCRETE STRUCTURE

作　　者：铁军[1] 隋允康[2] TIE Jun;SUI Yunkang(School of Polytechnic,Tianjin University of Finance and Economics,Tianjin 300222,China;College of Mathematics,Statistics and Mechanics,Beijing University of Technology,Beijing 100102,China)

机构地区：[1]天津财经大学理工学院,天津300222 [2]北京工业大学数学统计学与力学学院,北京100102

出　　处：《力学与实践》2025年第2期466-468,共3页Mechanics in Engineering

基　　金：大连理工大学工业装备结构分析国家重点实验室开放基金项目(GZ23104)资助。

摘　　要：著名的英国物理学家麦克斯韦(James Clerk Maxwell,1831—1879)在力学上也具有多种开创性的贡献,其中的桁架结构布局优化研究,属于至今方兴未艾的研究热点——结构拓扑优化的范畴,而麦克斯韦早在100多年前就首次提出来了。由于时间久远,麦克斯韦对桁架这类离散结构布局优化的贡献时间,国内相当多的一些涉及研究结构优化的专著、教科书和期刊的文章中,各自将其列为1864年、1870年、1872年和1890年等等,真是莫衷一是,不一而足。多数人,包括笔者,未曾想这个时间点会有这么多的说法,乃至以讹传讹,浑不知晓。当我们产生一念,想了解麦克斯韦在什么年纪做出这么重大的发现时,令我们瞠目结舌的是,1890年是他去世11年之后了!于是查文献,发现国外记录麦克斯韦对离散结构布局优化贡献的时间也很不一致,比如Michell,Rozvany和Makoto Ohsaki分别认为该时间是1890年、1872年和1894年,于是产生了力学史中棘手的一桩公案。通过多方查阅麦克斯韦的原文和出处,分析判断,认为1872年是合理的,厘清这桩公案对力学史和方法论的研究必定有所裨益。The famous British physicist James Clerk Maxwell(1831—1879)also has a variety of pioneering contributions in mechanics,among which the truss structure layout optimization research belongs to the category of structural topology optimization,which is still in the rise of research hotspots,and Maxwell first proposed it more than 100 years ago.Due to the long time,Maxwell's contribution to the layout optimization of discrete structures such as trusses,quite a number of domestic monographs,textbooks and journal articles involving the study of structural optimization,respectively listed it as 1864,1870,1872 and 1890,etc.,is really inconsistent.Most people,including us,never thought that there would be so many statements at this point in time,and even misinformation and confusion.When we wondered at what age Maxwell had made such an important discovery,we were struck by the fact that 1890 was 11 years after his death!Therefore,it was found.

关 键 词：麦克斯韦 离散结构布局优化 贡献时间 力学史与方法论 

分 类 号：K81[历史地理—历史学]