About Charles Proteus Steinmetz
Charles Proteus Steinmetz was a Prussian-American mathematician and electrical engineer and professor at Union College. He fostered the development of alternating current that made possible the expansion of the electric power industry in the United States, formulating mathematical theories for engineers. He made ground-breaking discoveries in the understanding of hysteresis that enabled engineers to design better electromagnetic apparatus equipment, especially electric motors for use in industry. Steinmetz is known for his contribution in three major fields of alternating current (AC) systems theory: hysteresis, steady-state analysis, and transients. His systematic experiments resulted in the first laboratory-created "man-made lightning", earning him the nickname "Forger of Thunderbolts". He changed his first name to "Charles" to sound more American, and chose the middle name "Proteus", a wise hunchbacked character from the Odyssey who knew many secrets, after an epithet bestowed upon him by his college fraternity brothers.
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