  kenneth geddes wilson (june&nbsp;8, 1936 â june&nbsp;15, 2013) was an american theoretical physicist and a pioneer in leveraging computers for studying particle physics. he was awarded the 1982 nobel prize in physics for his work on phase transitionsâilluminating the subtle essence of phenomena like melting ice and emerging magnetism. it was embodied in his fundamental work on the renormalization group. ==physics== his work in physics involved formulation of a comprehensive theory of scaling: how fundamental properties and forces of a system vary depending on the scale over which they are measured. he devised a universal "divide-and-conquer" strategy for calculating how phase transitions occur, by considering each scale separately and then abstracting the connection between contiguous ones, in a novel appreciation of renormalization group theory. this provided profound insights into the field of critical phenomena and phase transitions in statistical physics enabling exact calculations.wilson, k. g. and m. fisher, critical exponents in 3.99 dimensions, physical review letters, 28, 1972, p.&nbsp;240 one example of an important problem in solid-state physics he solved using renormalization is in quantitatively describing the kondo effect. he then extended these insights on scaling to answer fundamental questions on the nature of quantum field theory and the operator product expansionwilson, k. g. non-lagrangian models in current algebra physical review, 179, 1969, p.&nbsp;1499â1512 ; model of coupling constant renormalisation, physical review d,  2, 
1936_births 2013_deaths American_Nobel_laureates American_physicists California_Institute_of_Technology_alumni Cornell_University_faculty Fellows_of_the_American_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences Fellows_of_the_American_Physical_Society Guggenheim_Fellows Harvard_University_alumni Members_of_the_United_States_National_Academy_of_Sciences Nobel_laureates_in_Physics Ohio_State_University_faculty Putnam_Fellows Theoretical_physicists Wolf_Prize_in_Physics_laureates