Arthur Jaffe

Biography

Abstract

Arthur Jaffe is the Landon T. Clay Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Science at Harvard University (1967-present). Other institutional affiliations include Clay Mathematics Institute and the Institute for Advanced Study. His research interests include quantum theory and supersymmetry.

Important Dates

December 22, 1937Birth, New York (N.Y.).

1959Obtained AB, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1961Obtained BA, Cambridge University, Cambridge (England).

1966Obtained PhD in Physics, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1966 – 1967Research Associate, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

1966 – 1967Acting Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Stanford University.

1967Visitor, Institute for Advanced Study.

1967 – presentAssistant Professor to Associate Professor of Physics (1967-1970); Professor of Physics (1970-1973); Professor of Mathematics (1973-1985); Landon T. Clay Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Science (1985-present); and Chair, Department of Mathematics (1987-1990), Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1968Guest Professor, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich.

1969Visiting Professor, Courant Institute, New York University.

1971Visiting Professor, Princeton University.

1979Visiting Professor, Rockefeller University.

1979 – 2000Chief Editor, Communications in Mathematical Physics, Springer-Verlag.

1980Awarded Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, American Physical Society.

1980 – 1983Editor, Progress in Physics (now Progress in Mathematical Physics), Springer-Verlag.

1980 – 1986Adjunct Professor, Rockefeller University.

1982Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley.

1991 – 1996President, International Association of Mathematical Physics.

1995Visiting Professor, University of Rome.

1996 – 2002Member (1996-2002) and Chair (2001-2002), President's Commission for the National Medal of Science, National Science Foundation.

1997 – 1998President, American Mathematical Society.

1997 – 2003Member, Advisory Board, International Mathematical Olympiad 2001.

1998 – 2002President, Clay Mathematics Institute, Oxford (England).

2000Member, National Academy of Sciences.

2000Chair, Council of Scientific Society Presidents.

2001Chair, Mathematics Section, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

2001 – 2002Visiting Professor, Boston University.

2004 – presentChairman of the Board, School of Theoretical Physics, Dublin Institute for Advanced Study.

2005Guest Professor, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich.

2009Honorary Member, Royal Irish Academy.

2017 – presentDistinguished Visiting Professor, Chinese Academy of Science (Zhongguo ke xue yuan).

2018 – presentEditor, Science China Mathematics.

Occupation

Mathematical physicist.

Places

Birth

New York (N.Y.)

Undergraduate Education

Princeton (N.J.)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (England)

Princeton (N.J.)

Employment

Cambridge (Mass.)

Subjects

Mathematical physics.

Quantum theory.

Supersymmetry.

Theoretical physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Jaffe, Henry L.

Father.

Advisors & Collaborators

Brandenberger, Robert Hans

Advised by Jaffe at Harvard, "Topics in Quantum Field Theory and Cosmology."

Glimm, James

Co-wrote book Quantum Physics: a functional integral point of view.

Goulian, Mark D.

Advised by Jaffe at Harvard University, "Conformal Field Theory on Rigid and Fluctuating Surfaces."

Ritter, William G.

Advised by Jaffe at Harvard University, "Euclidean quantum field theory: Curved spacetimes and gauge fields."

Taubes, Clifford, 1954-

Advised by Jaffe at Harvard University, "The Structure of Static Euclidean Gauge Fields."

Wightman, A. S. (Arthur Strong), 1922-2013

PhD advisor at Princeton University, "Dynamics of a Cut-off Lambda Phi to the 4 Field Theory."

Colleagues

Adler, Stephen L.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Bainbridge, Kenneth T. (Kenneth Tompkins), 1904-1996

Both employed at Harvard University.

Bjorken, James D.

Both employed at Stanford University.

Bloch, Felix, 1905-

Both employed at Stanford University.

Bloembergen, N.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Callan, Curtis G.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Carrier, George F.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Chodorow, Marvin

Both employed at Stanford University.

Coleman, Sidney, 1937-2007

Both employed at Harvard University.

Conant, James Bryant, 1893-1978

Both employed at Harvard University.

Coppi, B.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Dyson, Freeman J.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Fairbank, William Martin, 1917-1989

Both employed at Stanford University.

Fetter, Alexander L., 1937-

Both employed at Stanford University.

Freedman, Daniel Z.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Furry, W. H. (Wendell Hinkle), 1907-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gallagher, Thomas F., 1944-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Georgi, Howard

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glashow, Sheldon L.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gross, David J. (David Jonathan)

Both employed at Harvard University.

Halperin, Bertrand I.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Hofstadter, Robert, 1915-1990

Both employed at Stanford University.

Jackiw, Roman W.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Kemble, Edwin C. (Edwin Crawford), 1889-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Kirkpatrick, Paul

Both employed at Stanford University.

Leggett, A. J. (Anthony J.)

Both employed at Harvard University.

Mackey, George W. (George Whitelaw), 1916-2006

Both employed at Harvard University.

Martin, Paul Cecil, 1931-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Morse, Marston, 1892-1977

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Pound, Robert V.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Purcell, Edward M.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Quinn, Helen R.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Ramsey, Norman, 1915-2011

Both employed at Harvard University.

Rosenbluth, M. N.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Schawlow, Arthur L., 1921-1999

Both employed at Stanford University.

Schiff, Leonard I. (Leonard Isaac), 1915-1971

Both employed at Stanford University.

Schiffer, Menahem

Both employed at Stanford University.

Schwartz, Melvin, 1932-2006

Both employed at Stanford University.

Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994

Both employed at Harvard University.

Smith, Neville, 1942-2006

Both employed at Stanford University.

Street, Jabez Curry, 1906-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

Both employed at Stanford University.

Tinkham, Michael

Both employed at Harvard University.

Van Vleck, J. H. (John Hasbrouck), 1899-1980

Both employed at Harvard University.

Webster, David Locke, 1888-1976

Both employed at Stanford University.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Wu, Tai Tsun

Both employed at Harvard University.

Institutions

Major Positions

Boston University. Department of Physics

Visiting Professor.

Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences

Visiting Professor.

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich. Departement Physik

Guest Professor.

Harvard University. Department of Mathematics

Professor of Mathematics; Chair, Department of Mathematics; and Landon T. Clay Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Science.

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Assistant Professor; Associate Professor; and Professor of Physics.

Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, N.J.)

Visiting Member.

Princeton University. Department of Physics

Obtained AB (1959) and PhD in Physics (1966). Visiting Professor.

Rockefeller University

Visiting Professor and Adjunct Professor.

Springer-Verlag

Chief Editor 'Communications in Mathematical Physics' and Editor, "Progress in Mathematical Physics," formerly Progress in Physics.

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

Research Associate.

Stanford University. Department of Mathematics

Acting Assistant Professor of Mathematics.

Università di Roma

Visiting Professor.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Distinguished Visiting Professor.

Zhongguo ke xue yuan

Distinguished Visiting Professor.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Chair, Mathematics Section.

American Mathematical Society

President.

American Physical Society

Received 1980 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics.

Clare College (University of Cambridge)

Obtained BA (1961).

Clay Mathematics Institute

President.

Council of Scientific Society Presidents

Chair.

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies

Chairman of the Board, School of Theoretical Physics.

International Association of Mathematical Physics

President.

International Mathematical Olympiad

Member, Advisory Board, International Mathematical Olympiad 2001.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

National Science Foundation (U.S.)

Member and Chair, President's Commission for the National Medal of Science.

Royal Irish Academy

Member.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Oral history interview with Arthur M. Jaffe, 1977 February 15.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Quantum physics : a functional integral point of view / James Glimm, Arthur Jaffe.