Stokes (John Stokes, physicist)

John Stokes was a physicist known for his work in electromagnetic theory and fluid dynamics. In physics, his most notable contribution is related to Stokes' theorem, which connects the behavior of a field over a surface to its behavior along the boundary of that surface. This mathematical principle helps simplify complex calculations involving vector fields, such as fluid flow and electromagnetism. Essentially, Stokes' theorem allows scientists and engineers to relate the circulation around a boundary to the surface integral of a curl within the area, providing a powerful tool for analyzing physical systems with spatially varying fields.