Alexander Borisovich Zamolodchikov (russian: Алекса́ндр Бори́сович Замоло́дчиков; born September 18, 1952) is a Russian physicist, known for his contributions to

condensed matter physics Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid phases which arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms. More generally, the sub ...

two-dimensional conformal field theory A two-dimensional conformal field theory is a quantum field theory on a Euclidean two-dimensional space, that is invariant under local conformal transformations. In contrast to other types of conformal field theories, two-dimensional conformal fie ...

, and

string theory In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interac ...

, and is currently the

C.N. Yang Yang Chen-Ning or Chen-Ning Yang (; born 1 October 1922), also known as C. N. Yang or by the English name Frank Yang, is a Chinese theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to statistical mechanics, integrable systems, gauge t ...

/Wei Deng Endowed Chair of Physics at

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public research university in Stony Brook, New York. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is one of the State University of New York system's ...

Biography

Born in Novo-Ivankovo, now part of

Dubna Dubna ( rus, Дубна́, p=dʊbˈna) is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It has a status of ''naukograd'' (i.e. town of science), being home to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, an international nuclear physics research center and one o ...

, Zamolodchikov earned a

M.Sc. A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

Nuclear Engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei ( fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of n ...

(1975) from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

from the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (1978). He joined the research staff of

Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics The L. D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics (russian: link=no, Институт теоретической физики имени Л. Д. Ландау (ИТФ)) of the Russian Academy of Sciences is a research institution, located in the s ...

(1978) where he got an honorary doctorate (1983). He co-authored the famous BPZ paper "Infinite Conformal Symmetry in Two-Dimensional Quantum Field Theory", with Alexander Polyakov and Alexander Belavin. He joined

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

(1990) where he co-founded Rutgers New High Energy Theory Center, and was named Board of Governors Professor (2005). In 2016, he became the inaugural holder of the

C. N. Yang Yang Chen-Ning or Chen-Ning Yang (; born 1 October 1922), also known as C. N. Yang or by the English name Frank Yang, is a Chinese Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to statistical mechanics, integrab ...

/Wei Deng Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics at

. He is the twin brother of the late

Alexei Zamolodchikov Alexei Borisovich Zamolodchikov (russian: Алексей Борисович Замолодчиков; 18 September 1952 – 18 October 2007) was a Russian physicist known for his contributions to quantum field theory, quantum gravity and the Liou ...

(1952–2007), also a noted physicist.

Awards

*1999: Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics with

Barry M. McCoy Barry Malcolm McCoy (born 14 December 1940 in Trenton, New Jersey) is an American physicist, known for his contributions to classical statistical mechanics, integrable models and conformal field theories. He earned a B.Sc. from California Instit ...

and

Tai Tsun Wu Tai Tsun Wu (, September 1, 1933) is a Chinese-born American physicist and applied physicist well known for his contributions to high-energy nuclear physics and statistical mechanics. Born in Shanghai, he studied electrical engineering at Univ ...

for "their groundbreaking and penetrating work on classical statistical mechanics, integrable models and conformal field theories." *2003/4: Humboldt Prize *2005: Blaise Pascal Chair at the

École Normale Supérieure École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

in Paris *2011: Lars Onsager Prize, together with Alexander Belavin and Alexander Polyakov, " for the remarkable ideas that they introduced concerning conformal field theory and soluble models of statistical mechanics in two dimensions." *2011: Dirac Medal from the International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste. *2016: elected to the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zamolodchikov, Alexander 1952 births Living people People from Dubna Russian physicists 21st-century American physicists American string theorists Russian string theorists Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology alumni Rutgers University faculty Fellows of the American Physical Society Mathematical physicists Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences

Biography

Awards

See also

References