E. Witten

Biography

Abstract

Edward Witten is Charles Simonyi Professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies (1997-present). Other institutional affiliations include Princeton University. His research interests include quantum duality symmetries of field theories and string theories, and topology.

Important Dates

August 26, 1951Birth.

1971Obtained BA, Brandeis University, Waltham (Mass.).

1974Obtained MA, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1976Obtained PhD, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1976 – 1980Postdoctoral Fellow (1976-1977) and Junior Fellow, Society of Fellows (1977-1980), Harvard University.

1980 – 1987Professor of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1982Fellowship, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

1984Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

1984Fellow, American Physical Society.

1987 – presentProfessor, School of Natural Sciences (1987-1997) and Charles Simonyi Professor (1997-present), Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (N.J.).

1988Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1990Awarded Fields Medal, International Union of Mathematics.

1992 – presentMember, Board of Directors, Americans for Peace Now.

1994Fellow, American Philosophical Society.

1998Awarded Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, American Physical Society.

1999 – 2001Visiting Professor, California Institute of Technology.

2002Awarded National Medal of Science.

Occupation

Theoretical physicist.

Places

Undergraduate Education

Waltham (Mass.)

Graduate Education

Princeton (N.J.)

Employment

Princeton (N.J.)

Subjects

Mathematical physics.

Quantum field theory.

String theory.

Theoretical physics.

Topology

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Green, M. (Michael B.)

Co-wrote "Superstring Theory" with Witten and John H. Schwarz.

Gross, David J. (David Jonathan)

PhD advisor at Princeton University, "Some Problems in the Short Distance Analysis of Gauge Theories," and both employed at Princeton University.

Schwarz, John H.

Co-wrote "Superstring Theory" with Witten and Michael B. Green.

Vafa, Cumrun

Advised by Witten at Princeton University "Symmetries, inequalities and index theorems."

Wen, Xiao-Gang

Advised by Witten at Princeton University, "Some Global Properties Of Low-energy String Theory."

Colleagues

Adler, Stephen L.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Aizenman, Michael

Both employed at Princeton University.

Anderson, P. W. (Philip W.), 1923-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Austin, Robert H.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bahcall, John N.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Bloembergen, N.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Callan, Curtis G.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Coleman, Sidney, 1937-2007

Both employed at Harvard University.

Dicke, Robert H. (Robert Henry)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Dyson, Freeman J.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Fitch, Val L., 1923-2015

Both employed at Princeton University.

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gates, S. James

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.

Goldberger, Marvin L.

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Halperin, Bertrand I.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Happer, William, 1939-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Hooft, G. 't

Both employed at Harvard University.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Maldacena, Juan Martin, 1968-

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Martin, Paul Cecil, 1931-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Nelson, David R., 1951-

Both employed at Harvard University.

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.

Seiberg, Nathan

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Spencer, Thomas, 1946-

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Steinhardt, Paul J.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Street, Jabez Curry, 1906-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Taylor, Joseph H. (Joseph Hooton)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Tinkham, Michael

Both employed at Harvard University.

Treiman, Sam B.

Both employed at Princeton University.

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

Both employed at Harvard University.

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

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wilczek, Frank

Both employed at Princeton University and Institute for Advanced Study.

Wilkinson, David T.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Witherell, Michael S., 1949-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Additional

Lederman, Leon M.

Ostriker, J. P.

Polchinski, Joseph Gerard

Institutions

Major Positions

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

Professor, School of Natural Sciences and Charles Simonyi Professor.

Princeton University. Department of Physics

Obtained MA (1974) and PhD (1976). Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Fellow.

American Philosophical Society

Fellow.

American Physical Society

Fellow and received 1998 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics.

Americans for Peace Now (Organization)

Member, Board of Directors.

Brandeis University. Department of Physics

Obtained BA (1971).

California Institute of Technology. Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

Visiting Professor.

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Postdoctoral Fellow and Junior Fellow, Society of Fellows.

International Union of Mathematicians

Received 1990 Fields Medal.

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Fellowship.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

QFT and QCD: past, present, and future [videorecording], 2005 March 18 and 19.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Leon Lederman retirement symposium [videorecording].

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Jeremiah P. Ostriker, 2002 May 14 and 21.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Joseph Polchinski, 2009 March 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Superstring theory / Michael B. Green, John H. Schwarz, Edward Witten.