Ludwig Mach

Ludwig Mach
Born(1868-11-08)November 8, 1868
Prague, Austria-Hungary
DiedSeptember 1951(1951-09-00) (aged 82)
Known forMach–Zehnder interferometer
Parents
  • Ernst Mach (father)
  • Ludovica Mach, née Marussig (mother)

Ludwig Mach (8 November 1868, in Prague – September 1951) was an Austrian physician and inventor.

Ludwig was the son of the physicist Ernst Mach.

In 1892, Ludwig Mach developed an instrument which became known as the Mach–Zehnder interferometer.[1] The name is due to the fact that Ludwig Zehnder indepently developed a nearly identical device.[2] Mach went on to employ photography for collecting visual data streamlines in the field of aerodynamics.[3]

In 1895, he earned his medical doctorate, but he only worked as a physician for a short time.[4]

In 1899 and 1900, he registered patents for aluminum alloys with 2% to 23% magnesium.[5][6] This invention which he termed Magnalium was to be the precursor of the entire 5000 series of aluminum alloys.[7] Its commercialization brought him significant profits.[4]

In his later years, Ludwig Mach tried to experimentally disprove Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. He even forged a preface under his father’s name that criticized the theory, which brought him notoriety after his death.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Clark, Charles, ed. (2017). "The Interferometers of Zehnder and Mach". Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  2. ^ Schwenkenbecher, Jan (2016-12-18). "Ein Leben im Schatten des Vaters". Süddeutsche Zeitung. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  3. ^ Hoffmann, Christoph (1 March 2013). "Superpositions: Ludwig Mach and Étienne-Jules Marey's studies in streamline photography". Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A. 44 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1016/j.shpsa.2012.08.002.
  4. ^ a b c Wolters, Gereon (November 2016). "Ernst Mach und seine Familie - Eine schwierige Konstellation von Beziehungen". Licht und Schatten: Ernst Mach - Ludwig Mach. Deutsches Museum. pp. 16–25. ISBN 978-3-940396-56-3. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  5. ^ US 629,084, Ludwig Mach, "ALLOY OF ALUMINIUM", issued 18 July 1899 
  6. ^ US 662,952, Ludwig Mach, "PROCESS OF MAKING ALUMINIUM ALLOYS", issued 4 December 1900 
  7. ^ "A New Metal". Evening News. Sydney, NSW. 20 April 1901. p. 1. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
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