Public Lecture: The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Quantum Physics in Mathematics

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Short Biography

Since July 2012 Prof. Robbert Dijkgraaf is the Director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and Leon Levy Professor. He received his PhD in 1989 at the University of Utrecht under the supervision of Nobel Laureate Gerard ’t Hooft. After postdoc positions at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study, he became professor at the University of Amsterdam in 1992.

Robbert Dijkgraaf is a mathematical physicist who has made significant contributions to string theory and the advancement of science education. His research focuses on the interface between mathematics and particle physics. In addition to finding surprising and deep connections between matrix models, topological string theory, and supersymmetric quantum field theory, Dijkgraaf has developed precise formulas for the counting of bound states that explain the entropy of certain black holes. Many of his activities – which have included frequent appearances on television, a monthly newspaper column in NRC Handelsblad, several books for general audiences, and the launch of the science education website Proefjes.nl - are at the interface between science and society.

For his contributions to science, Dijkgraaf was awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands, in 2003. He was named a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2012 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. He was president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2008-12) and Co-Chair of the InterAcademy Council (2009–17).