Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A German chemist: Refers specifically to Manfred Eigen, a German chemist born in 1927 who conducted pioneering research on high-speed chemical reactions. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967 for his work on extremely fast chemical reactions, investigated by relaxation methods.

Usage

• The term "Eigen" is used almost exclusively as a surname to refer to the specific individual, Manfred Eigen, or his scientific contributions.
• It is commonly found in historical and scientific contexts related to chemistry, Nobel laureates, or reaction kinetics.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • The Eigen techniques revolutionized the study of reaction kinetics.
  • Manfred Eigen shared the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Advanced Usage

• "Eigen's methods": Refers to the experimental techniques developed by Manfred Eigen for studying fast chemical reactions.
  • The research utilized Eigen's methods to measure the reaction rate.
• In specialized scientific contexts (primarily mathematics and physics), the German word "eigen" (meaning "own," "characteristic," or "inherent") appears as a prefix in terms like "eigenvalue" and "eigenvector." However, this is a separate linguistic usage and not a reference to the chemist.

Variants and Related Words

• Eigenvalue (n): A special number associated with a linear transformation in mathematics.
• Eigenvector (n): A non-zero vector that changes only by a scalar factor when a linear transformation is applied.
• Eigenfunction (n): A function analogous to an eigenvector in the context of function spaces.

Synonyms

• Manfred Eigen: The full name is a direct synonym.
• The Nobel laureate (of 1967, in Chemistry): A descriptive synonym in specific contexts.

Related Phrases

• Eigen relaxation methods: The specific techniques for which Manfred Eigen is famous.
  • The dissertation focused on Eigen relaxation methods.

Noun

1. German chemist who did research on high-speed chemical reactions (born in 1927)