- 2012 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Intro
Israeli American theoretical physicist. Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He received the 2012 Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics for “major contributions to our understanding of quantum field theory and string theory. His exact analysis of supersymmetric quantum field theories led to new and deep insights about their dynamics, with fundamental applications in physics and mathematics.
Education and Work Experience
1978-1982, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science 1989-1997, Professor, Rutgers University
1997-Present, Professor, Institute for Advanced Study
1998-Present, Visiting lecturer with a rank of Professor, Princeton University
Honors and Awards
1995, Oskar Klein Medal
1996, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship 1998, Dannie Heineman Prize
2012, Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Major Academic Achievements
Nathan Seiberg’s research focuses on various aspects of string theory, quantum field theory, and particle physics. He has made deep contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of quantum field theories, especially two-dimensional conformal field theories and supersymmetric quantum field theories. His exact solutions of supersymmetric systems have uncovered many new and unexpected phenomena, including the fundamental role of electric-magnetic duality in these theories. These exact solutions have led to many applications in physics and in mathematics. Recently, he combined insights from his earlier work to shed new light on quantum field theories in three space-time dimensions, which are also of interest to condensed matter physics.