Rivlin's legacy in continuum mechanics and applied mathematics

Over a long and distinguished career, Ronald Rivlin (figure 1) published more than 200 scientific papers. He was a highly innovative scientist who made seminal contributions in all areas of continuum mechanics. He was one of the last savants, equally proficient in solid and fluid mechanics and in the mathematical methods needed to advance these disciplines. Although it was characteristic of scientists at the time of Cauchy and Navier, or even Poincare, this spread of knowledge no longer seems possible due to the rapid expansion of research that has occurred over the last 50 years. Open in a separate window Figure 1. Ronald S. Rivlin [1915–2005]. (Online version in colour.)