Kurt Binder (10 February 1944 – 27 September 2022)[1] was an Austrian theoretical physicist.
From 1977 to 1983, he headed a group for Theoretical Physics in the Institute for Solid State Research at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, prior to taking his present post as a University Professor for Theoretical Physics at the University of Mainz, Germany.
He was best known for pioneering the development of Monte Carlo simulations as a quantitative tool in statistical and condensed matter physics, establishing simulations as a third branch in addition to theory and experiment, and for catalyzing its application in many areas of physical research.
He made very important contributions to numerous fields, ranging from phase transitions and spin glasses to polymer physics.
The eponymous Binder cumulant is a very important and frequently used quantity in analyzing phase diagrams.