The evolution of turbulence theories and the need for continuous wavelets

Abstract

In the first part of this article, I summarise two centuries of research on turbulence. I also critically discuss some of the interpretations that are still in use, as turbulence remains an inherently non-linear problem that is still unsolved to this day. In the second part, I tell the story of how Alex Grossmann introduced me to the continuous wavelet representation in 1983, and how he instantly convinced me that this is the tool I was looking for to study turbulence. In the third part, I present a selection of results I obtained in collaboration with several students and colleagues to represent, analyse and filter different turbulent flows using the continuous wavelet transform. I have chosen to present both these theories and results without the use of equations, in the hope that the reading of this article will be more enjoyable.