List of scientific laws

named after people

This is a list of scientific laws named after

people (eponymous laws). For other lists
of eponyms, see eponym.
 Law Field Person(s) Named After

Abel's theorem Calculus Niels Henrik Abel

Amdahl's law Computer science Gene Amdahl

Ampère's circuital law Physics André-Marie Ampère

Archie's law Geology Gus Archie

Archimedes's principle Physics

Archimedes
Axiom of Archimedes Analysis

Arrhenius equation Chemical kinetics Svante Arrhenius

Avogadro's law Thermodynamics Amedeo Avogadro

Quantum
Bell's theorem John Stewart Bell
mechanics

Benford's law Mathematics Frank Benford

Beer–Lambert law Optics August Beer, Johann Heinrich Lambert

Bernoulli's principle
Physical sciences Daniel Bernoulli
Bernoulli's equation

Electromagnetics,
Biot–Savart law Jean Baptiste Biot and Félix Savart
fluid dynamics

Birch's law Geophysics Francis Birch

Bogoliubov–Born–Green– Nikolay Bogoliubov, Max Born, Herbert

Physics
Kirkwood–Yvon hierarchy Green, John Kirkwood, and J. Yvon

Quantum
Bogoliubov transformation Nikolay Bogoliubov
mechanics

Boltzmann equation Thermodynamics Ludwig Boltzmann

Quantum
Born's law Max Born
mechanics

Boyle's law Thermodynamics Robert Boyle

William Lawrence Bragg, William Henry

Bragg's Law Physics
Bragg

Bradford's law Computer science Samuel C. Bradford

Buys Ballot's law Meteorology C.H.D. Buys Ballot

Byerlee's law Geophysics James Byerlee

Carnot's theorem Thermodynamics Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot

Cauchy's integral formula

Augustin Louis Cauchy
Cauchy–Riemann equations
Complex analysis Augustin Louis Cauchy and Bernhard
 See also: List of things named
Riemann
after Augustin-Louis Cauchy

Cayley–Hamilton theorem Linear algebra Arthur Cayley and William Hamilton

Charles's law Thermodynamics Jacques Charles

Chandrasekhar limit Astrophysics Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Church–Turing thesis Computer science Alonzo Church and Alan Turing

Coulomb's law Physics Charles Augustin de Coulomb

Law of Charles and Gay-Lussac Jacques Charles and Joseph Louis Gay-
Thermodynamics
(frequently called Charles's law) Lussac

Algebraic
Clifford's theorem
geometry, William Kingdon Clifford
Clifford's circle theorems
Geometry

Curie's law Physics Pierre Curie

Curie–Weiss law Physics Pierre Curie and Pierre-Ernest Weiss

D'Alembert's paradox Fluid dynamics,

Jean le Rond d'Alembert
D'Alembert's principle Physics

Dalton's law of partial pressure Thermodynamics John Dalton

Darcy's law Fluid mechanics Henry Darcy

Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn and Paul

De Bruijn–Erdős theorem Mathematics
Erdős

De Morgan's law Logic Augustus De Morgan

Celestial
Dermott's law Stanley Dermott
mechanics

Descartes's theorem Geometry René Descartes

Dirac equation Mathematics, Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac

Dirac delta function Physics
Dirac comb
Dirac spinor
Dirac operator
 See also: List of things named
after Paul Dirac

Drake equation Cosmology Frank Drake

Doppler effect Physics Christian Doppler

Quantum
Ehrenfest's theorem Paul Ehrenfest
mechanics

Einstein's general theory of

relativity
Einstein's special theory of
Physics Albert Einstein
relativity
 See also: List of things named
after Albert Einstein

Erdős–Anning theorem
 See also: List of things named Mathematics Paul Erdős and Norman H. Anning
after Paul Erdős

Erdős–Beck theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and József Beck

Erdős–Gallai theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and Tibor Gallai

Erdős–Kac theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and Mark Kac

Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős, Ke Zhao, and Richard Rado

Erdős–Nagy theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and Béla Szőkefalvi-Nagy

Erdős–Rado theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and Richard Rado

Erdős–Stone theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and Arthur Harold Stone

Erdős–Szekeres theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and George Szekeres

Erdős–Szemerédi theorem Mathematics Paul Erdős and Endre Szemerédi

Euclid's theorem Number theory Euclid

Euler's theorem
 See also: List of things named Number theory Leonhard Euler
after Leonhard Euler

Faraday's law of induction Electromagnetism

Michael Faraday
Faraday's law of electrolysis Chemistry
Faxén's law Fluid dynamics Hilding Faxén

Fermat's principle Optics

Fermat's last theorem Number theory Pierre de Fermat
Fermat's little theorem Number theory

Fermi paradox
Fermi's golden rule
Fermi acceleration
Fermi hole Cosmology,
Enrico Fermi
Fermionic field Physics
Fermi level
 See also: List of things named
after Enrico Fermi

Fick's law of diffusion Thermodynamics Adolf Fick

Fitts's law Ergonomics Paul Fitts

Fourier's law Thermodynamics Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier

Gauss's law
Gauss's law for magnetism
Gauss's principle of least
constraint
Mathematics,
Gauss's digamma theorem Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss
Physics
Gauss's hypergeometric theorem
Gaussian function
 See also: List of things named
after Carl Friedrich Gauss

Gay-Lussac's law Chemistry Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac

Josiah Willard Gibbs, Hermann Ludwig

Gibbs–Helmholtz equation Thermodynamics
Ferdinand von Helmholtz

Gödel's incompleteness theorems Mathematics Kurt Gödel

Graham's law Thermodynamics Thomas Graham

Green's law Fluid dynamics George Green

Grimm's law Linguistics Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Gustafson's law Computer science John L. Gustafson

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle Theoretical Werner Heisenberg
physics

Heaps' law LInguistics Harold Stanley Heaps

Hellmann–Feynman theorem Physics Hans Hellmann, Richard Feynman

Henry's law Thermodynamics William Henry

Hertz observations Electromagnetism Heinrich Hertz

Hess's law Thermodynamics Germain Henri Hess

Hilbert's basis theorem

Hilbert's axioms
Hilbert function
Hilbert's irreducibility theorem Mathematics David Hilbert
Hilbert's syzygy theorem
Hilbert's Theorem 90
Hilbert's theorem

Quantum
Hohenberg–Kohn theorem Pierre Hohenberg and Walter Kohn
mechanics

Helmholtz's theorems
Helmholtz theorem
Helmholtz free energy Thermodynamics
Hermann von Helmholtz
Helmholtz decomposition Physics
Helmholtz equation
Helmholtz resonance

Hooke's law Physics Robert Hooke

Hopkinson's law Electromagnetism John Hopkinson

Hubble's law Cosmology Edwin Hubble

Hund's rules Atomic physics Friedrich Hund

Christiaan Huygens and Augustin-Jean

Huygens–Fresnel principle Optics
Fresnel

Joule's laws Physics James Joule

Jurin's law Physics James Jurin

Kasha's rule Photochemistry Michael Kasha

Kepler's laws of planetary motion Astrophysics Johannes Kepler

Kirchhoff's laws Electronics, Gustav Kirchhoff
thermodynamics

Kopp's law Thermodynamics Hermann Franz Moritz Kopp

Lagrangian point
Lagrange reversion theorem
Lagrange polynomial
Lagrange's four-square theorem
Lagrange's theorem
Mathematics,
Lagrange's theorem (group Joseph-Louis Lagrange
Astrophysics
theory)
Lagrange invariant
Lagrange multiplier
 See also: List of things named
after Joseph-Louis Lagrange

Lambert's cosine law Physics Johann Heinrich Lambert

Chemistry,
Lamm equation Ole Lamm
Biophysics

Langmuir equation Surface Chemistry Irving Langmuir

Laplace transform
Laplace's equation
Laplace operator
Mathematics
Laplace distribution
Physics
Laplace invariant
Probability Theory Pierre-Simon Laplace
Laplace expansion
Statistical
Laplace principle
mechanics
Laplace limit
 See also: List of things named
after Pierre-Simon Laplace

Le Chatelier's principle Chemistry Henri Louis le Chatelier

Leibniz's law Ontology Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Lenz's law Physics Heinrich Lenz

Leonard–Merritt mass estimator Astrophysics Peter Leonard, David Merritt

l'Hôpital's rule Mathematics Guillaume de l'Hôpital

Llinás's law Neuroscience Rodolfo Llinás

Mach principle
Physics Ernst Mach
Mach reflection

Marconi's law Radio technology Guglielmo Marconi

Markovnikov's rule Organic chemistry Vladimir Markovnikov

Maupertuis's principle Mathematics Pierre Louis Maupertuis

Maxwell's equations Electrodynamics

James Clerk Maxwell
Maxwell relations Thermodynamics

Mendelian inheritance/Mendel's
Genetics Gregor Mendel
laws

Metcalfe's law Network theory Robert Metcalfe

Mikheyev–Smirnov–Wolfenstein Stanislav Mikheyev, Alexei Smirnov, and

Particle physics
effect Lincoln Wolfenstein

Mathematical
Milner–Rado paradox Eric Charles Milner and Richard Rado
logic

Minkowski's theorem Number theory Hermann Minkowski

Crystallography
Mitscherlich's law Condensed matter Eilhard Mitscherlich
physics

Moore's law Computing Gordon Moore

Nash embedding theorem Topology

John Forbes Nash
Nash equilibrium Game Theory

Nernst equation Electrochemistry Walther Nernst

Newton's law of cooling

Newton's law of universal
Thermodynamics
gravitation
Astrophysics Isaac Newton
Newton's laws of motion
Mechanics
 See also: List of things named
after Isaac Newton

Niven's theorem Mathematics Ivan Niven

Theoretical
Noether's theorem Emmy Noether
physics
Nyquist–Shannon sampling Information theory Harry Nyquist, Claude Elwood Shannon
theorem

Philosophy of
Occam's razor William of Ockham
science

Ohm's law Electronics Georg Ohm

Osipkov–Merritt model Astrophysics Leonid Osipkov, David Merritt

Physical
Ostwald dilution law Wilhelm Ostwald
chemistry

Paley–Wiener theorem Mathematics Raymond Paley and Norbert Wiener

Pareto distribution
Pareto efficiency
Economics Vilfredo Pareto
Pareto index
Pareto principle

Pascal's law Physics

Blaise Pascal
Pascal's theorem Geometry

Quantum
Pauli exclusion principle Wolfgang Pauli
mechanics

Foundational
Peano axioms Giuseppe Peano
mathematics

Planck's law Electromagnetism Max Planck

Poincaré–Bendixson theorem Mathematics Henri Poincaré and Ivar Otto Bendixson

Henri Poincaré, George David Birkhoff,

Poincaré–Birkhoff–Witt theorem Mathematics
and Ernst Witt

Poincaré–Hopf theorem Mathematics Henri Poincaré and Heinz Hopf

Poincaré recurrence theorem

Poincaré conjecture
Poincaré lemma Mathematics Henri Poincaré
 See also: List of things named
after Henri Poincaré

Poiseuille's law Fluidics Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille

Poisson distribution Statistics Siméon Denis Poisson

Poisson's equation Calculus
 See also: List of things named
after Siméon Denis Poisson

Price's theorem Natural selection George R. Price

Ptolemy's theorem Geometry Ptolemy

Pythagorean theorem Geometry Pythagoras

Raman scattering Physics Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

Discrete
Rado's theorem Richard Rado
mathematics

Ramanujan–Nagell equation
 See also: List of things named Mathematics Srinivasa Ramanujan and Trygve Nagell
after Srinivasa Ramanujan

Physical
Raoult's law François-Marie Raoult
chemistry

Riemann zeta function

Riemann hypothesis
Riemann integral
Riemann lemma
Number theory,
Riemannian manifold Bernhard Riemann
analysis, geometry
Riemann sphere
Riemann theta function
 See also: List of things named
after Bernhard Riemann

Differential
Rolle's theorem Michel Rolle
calculus

Saha ionization equation Plasma physics Meghnad Saha

Schrödinger equation Physics Erwin Schrödinger

Sérsic's law Astrophysics J. L. Sérsic

Snell's law Optics Willebrord van Roijen Snell

Sokolov–Ternov effect Particle Physics Arsenij Sokolov and Igor Ternov

Sommerfeld–Kossel
Spectroscopy Arnold Sommerfeld and Walther Kossel
displacement law

Stefan–Boltzmann law Thermodynamics Jožef Stefan and Ludwig Boltzmann

Stokes's law Fluid mechanics George Gabriel Stokes

Photoelectric
Stoletov's law Aleksandr Stoletov
effect

Tarski's undefinability theorem

Tarski's axioms Mathematical
Alfred Tarski
 See also: List of things named logic, Geometry
after Alfred Tarski

Thales's theorem Geometry Thales

Johann Daniel Titius and Johann Elert

Titius–Bode law Astrophysics
Bode

Torricelli's law Physics Evangelista Torricelli

Umov effect Physics Nikolay Umov

Van der Waals equation Chemistry Johannes Diderik van der Waals

Vlasov equation Plasma physics Anatoly Vlasov

Von Neumann bicommutant

theorem
Von Neumann entropy
von Neumann paradox
Mathematics,
Von Neumann ergodic theorem
Quantum John von Neumann
Von Neumann universe
mechanics
Von Neumann neighborhood
Von Neumann's trace inequality
 See also: List of things named
after John von Neumann

Weinberg–Witten theorem Quantum Gravity Steven Weinberg and Edward Witten

Weyl character formula

 See also: List of things named Mathematics Hermann Weyl
after Hermann Weyl

Wien's law Physics Wilhelm Wien

Wiener–Khinchin theorem Mathematics Norbert Wiener and Aleksandr Khinchin

Thomas Young and Pierre-Simon

Young–Laplace equation Fluid dynamics
Laplace
Zipf's law Linguistics George Kingsley Zipf

See also
Eponym
Fields of science
List of eponymous laws (overlaps with
this list but includes non-scientific laws
such as Murphy's law and Moore's law)
List of laws in science
Lists of etymologies
Scientific constants named after people
Scientific phenomena named after
people
Stigler's law of eponymy

Further reading
 Ballentyne, D. W. G.; Lovett, D. R. (1980).
A dictionary of named effects and laws
in chemistry, physics, and mathematics
(4th ed.). Chapman and Hall. ISBN 978-
0-412-22380-8.

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=List_of_scientific_laws_named_after_people&
oldid=858110004"

Last edited 13 days ago by Willondon

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.