Murnaghan

Murnaghan is a surname associated with several notable figures in science and mathematics. In physics, Francis D. Murnaghan is known for formulating the Murnaghan equation of state, an empirical relation describing how a solid’s volume changes under pressure. The equation uses parameters such as V0 (reference volume), B0 (zero-pressure bulk modulus), and B0' (the derivative of the bulk modulus with respect to pressure) and is commonly written as P = (B0 / B0') [ (V0 / V)^{B0'} - 1 ]. It is valued for its simplicity and utility in fitting high-pressure data.

In representation theory, the Murnaghan–Nakayama rule provides a combinatorial method to compute the irreducible characters of the symmetric group S_n. Named for Francis Murnaghan and Teiji Nakayama, the rule expresses character values as signed sums over rim-hook tableaux associated with Young diagrams.

The surname also appears in other mathematical and scientific contexts through individuals bearing the name, but the Murnaghan equation of state and the Murnaghan– Nakayama rule are the principal concepts commonly associated with the term.