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Hisao Nakanishi

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Sc.B., Physics, Brown University, 1974
A. M., Physics, Harvard University, 1976
Ph.D., Physics, Harvard University, 1980

Research Interests

Statistical Physics
Phase transitions and critical phenomena, particularly the effects of disordered geometry on the universal and non-universal behaviors exhibited by systems at or near a critical point. Current projects include the study of transport and vibrational spectrum of disordered systems, and statistics of self-avoiding walks. Specific examples: high density percolation and quantum percolation, and statistics of interacting polymers. Examples of method used: Monte Carlo simulations and eigenvalue analysis by Arnoldi methods. We now calculate the conductance of such networks directly using transport theory.

Physics Education

Effectiveness and implications of various digital tools of education such as computerized homework systems. Especially, how computerized, interactive tutorials augment or interfere with some of the measures intended to gauge students' learning including the exams, homework, and concept inventories. Also of interest is how such effects may or may not depend on the attributes of the students including gender, prior exposure to the physics topic, and their own outlook on physics learning.

Teaching Interests Graduate Students Former:

Sang-Bub Lee, Donald J. Jacobs, Jangnyeol Moon, Achille Giacometti, Danny Rintoul, Sonali Mukherjee, Eduardo Cuansing, Md. Fhokrul Islam, Brianna Dillon Thomas

Awards and Honors

Gordon Bell Prize (for practical scientific and engineering application of parallel computing), IEEE, 1992.

Professional Experience Currently:

Professor of Physics Purdue University, 1995 -
(Associate Department Head, 2007 - 2013)

Previous positions:
  • Associate Professor, Purdue University, 1989 - 1995
  • Assistant Professor, Purdue University, 1984 - 1989
  • Assistant Research Physicist,1982 - 1983 Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1980 - 1982 Baker Laboratory, Cornell University
Visiting positions:
  • Visiting Professor, College de France, Paris, France, 1986
  • Visiting Professor, Theoretical Physics Institute, Univ. of Minnesota, 1989
  • Visiting Professor, HLRZ, KFA - Juelich, Germany, 1992
Professional and Scholarly Activities

Chair, Physics Department Undergraduate Accreditation Committee

Selected Publications
  1. "Twho-dimensional quantum percolation with binary non-zero hopping integrals", Brianna Dillon Thomas and Hisao Nakanishi, Physical Review E, vol. 94 042141 (2016).
  2. "Localization phase diagram of two-dimensional quantum percolation", Brianna Dillon and H. Nakanishi Euro Physics Journal B, vol. 87, DOI:10.1140/epib/e2014-50397-4 (2014).
  3. "Modeling Gaussian-to-self-avoiding-walk crossover for stiff chain polymers", Md. Fhokrul Islam and H. Nakanishi, Physical Review E, vol. 74, 051107 (2006).
  4. "Quantum interference effects in particle transport through square lattices", E. Cuansing and H. Nakanishi, Physical Review E, vol. 70, 066142 (2004).
  5. "Structure and diffusion time scales of disordered clusters", E. Cuansing and H. Nakanishi, Physica A, vol. 322, 1-4 (2003).
Publications that might be of general interest:
  1. "Quantum Percolation in Two Dimensions", H. Nakanishi and Md. Fhokrul Islam, in Springer Lecture Notes on "Quantum and Semi-classical Percolation and Breakdown", eds. Sen, Bardhan, and Chakrabarti (2009).
  2. "Computational Physics", 2nd Edition, Nicholas J. Giordano and H. Nakanishi, Pearson Prentice-Hall (2005).
  3. "On the Effectiveness of Superconcurrent Computations on Heterogeneous Networks", H. Nakanishi, V. Rego, and V. Sunderam, J. Par. Dist. Computing, vol. 24, 177-190 (1995).
  4. "Random and self-avoiding walks in disordered media", H. Nakanishi, in "Annual Reviews of Computational Physics" Vol.I, Ed. D. Stauffer (World Scientific, Singapore, 1994).
  5. "Anomalous Diffusion in Disordered Clusters", in "On Clusters and Clustering: From Atoms to Fractals", ed. P. J. Reynolds, Elsevier Science Publishers (1993).
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