Tolman

Tolman is a surname of English origin and may refer to people and concepts associated with those who bore the name. It is most prominently linked to two American scientists who contributed to psychology and physics, as well as several terms in cosmology and relativity.

Edward C. Tolman (1886–1959) was an American psychologist known for purposive behaviorism, latent learning, and the concept of cognitive maps. His work emphasized goal-directed behavior and challenged purely stimulus–response explanations of learning.

Richard C. Tolman (1881–1948) was an American mathematical physicist, chemist, and philosopher of science. His interdisciplinary contributions spanned thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and foundational questions in cosmology and relativity.

In science and theory, the Tolman name appears in a number of eponymous concepts:

- The Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff equation, a fundamental relation in relativistic stellar structure describing hydrostatic equilibrium for a static, spherically symmetric body in general relativity.

- The Tolman temperature (Tolman relation), a statement about how temperature transforms in a gravitational field at thermal equilibrium.

- the Tolman surface brightness test, a proposed method to test the expansion of the universe by examining how the surface brightness of galaxies changes with redshift.

Beyond these, Tolman may appear in various biographical, academic, or institutional contexts related to individuals bearing the surname. The name is primarily recognized in the realms of psychology and physics, where several foundational concepts bear Tolman’s imprint.