Théophile de Donder

Théophile de Donder studied at Free University of Brussels and Université libre de Bruxelles. Maurice Nuyens and Raymond Coutrez are recorded as having studied under Théophile de Donder. The recorded working language is French. The field of work recorded is physicist. Albert Einstein is recorded as an influence. Employment is recorded with Université libre de Bruxelles. Distinctions recorded are doctor honoris causa from the University of Nancy and honorary doctor of the University of Toulouse.

• Birth Name — Théophile Ernest De Donder • Born — 19 August 1872 • Birthplace — Brussels, Belgium • Died — 11 May 1957 • Place of death — Brussels, Belgium • Fields — Statistical physics • Workplaces — Université Libre de Bruxelles • Education — Université Libre de Bruxelles • Academic Advisors — Henri Poincaré • Doctoral Students — Ilya Prigogine Léon Van Hove Théophile Lepage • Known for — Being the father of irreversible thermodynamics Chemical affinity Extent of reaction De Donder gauge De Donder method of analysis De Donder–Weyl theory • Awards — ICM Speaker (1920)

He received his doctorate in physics and mathematics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1899, for a thesis entitled Sur la Théorie des Invariants Intégraux (On the Theory of Integral Invariants).

He was professor between 1911 and 1942, at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Initially he continued the work of Henri Poincaré and Élie Cartan. From 1914 on, he was influenced by the work of Albert Einstein and was an enthusiastic proponent of the theory of relativity. He gained significant reputation in 1923, when he developed his definition of chemical affinity. He pointed out a connection between the chemical affinity and the Gibbs free energy. He is considered the father of thermodynamics of irreversible processes. De Donder's work was later developed further by his doctoral student Ilya Prigogine. De Donder was an associate and friend of Albert Einstein. He was in 1927, one of the participants of the fifth Solvay Conference on Physics, that took place at the International Solvay Institute for Physics in Belgium. Additionally, De Donder attended the Solvay Conferences of 1924, 1930, and 1948.