![Eric Zaslow 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Eric_Zaslow_2017.jpg)
Eric Zaslow is an American
mathematical physicist
Mathematical physics refers to the development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The ''Journal of Mathematical Physics'' defines the field as "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the developmen ...
at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
.
Biography
Zaslow attended
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, earning his Ph.D. in physics in 1995,
with thesis "Kinks, twists, and folds : exploring the geometric musculature of quantum field theory" written under the direction of
Cumrun Vafa
Cumrun Vafa ( fa, کامران وفا ; born 1 August 1960) is an Iranian-American theoretical physicist and the Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard University.
Early life and education
Cumrun Vafa was born in Tehra ...
. His research focuses on mathematical questions arising from
duality symmetries in
theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experim ...
such as
mirror symmetry
In mathematics, reflection symmetry, line symmetry, mirror symmetry, or mirror-image symmetry is symmetry with respect to a reflection. That is, a figure which does not change upon undergoing a reflection has reflectional symmetry.
In 2D ther ...
. With
Andrew Strominger
Andrew Eben Strominger (; born 1955) is an American theoretical physicist who is the director of Harvard's Center for the Fundamental Laws of Nature. He has made significant contributions to quantum gravity and string theory. These include his ...
and
Shing-Tung Yau
Shing-Tung Yau (; ; born April 4, 1949) is a Chinese-American mathematician and the William Caspar Graustein Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University. In April 2022, Yau announced retirement from Harvard to become Chair Professor of mathem ...
, he formulated the
SYZ conjecture
The SYZ conjecture is an attempt to understand the mirror symmetry conjecture, an issue in theoretical physics and mathematics. The original conjecture was proposed in a paper by Strominger, Yau, and Zaslow, entitled "Mirror Symmetry is ''T''- ...
.
He was named to the 2021 class of fellows of the
American Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society (AMS) is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, and serves the national and international community through its publications, meetings, ...
"for contributions to mathematical physics and mirror symmetry".
Zaslow is also known for being internationally ranked in
ultimate, with seven world or national championships
and has written limericks about physics competitively.
References
20th-century American mathematicians
21st-century American mathematicians
21st-century American physicists
Living people
Mathematical physicists
American string theorists
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
Northwestern University faculty
Year of birth missing (living people)
Fellows of the American Mathematical Society
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