Eric Zaslow

Eric Zaslow
George Bergman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Eric Zaslow
Birth date	1960s
Nationality	American
Fields	Mathematical physics, String theory, Mirror symmetry
Workplaces	Northwestern University, Harvard University
Alma mater	Harvard University, University of Chicago
Doctoral advisor	Edward Witten

Eric Zaslow is an American mathematical physicist known for contributions to string theory, mirror symmetry, and mathematical aspects of quantum field theory. He has held faculty positions at Harvard University and Northwestern University and collaborated with leading figures in theoretical physics and mathematics. His work bridges ideas from algebraic geometry, symplectic geometry, and topological quantum field theory.

Early life and education

Born in the United States in the 1960s, Zaslow attended Harvard University for undergraduate studies before pursuing graduate work at the University of Chicago and returning to Harvard University for doctoral research under Edward Witten. During his formative years he engaged with communities around Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study, and international centers such as the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the European Mathematical Society workshops. Influences included interactions with scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Caltech, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Academic career

After completing his doctorate, Zaslow held postdoctoral and faculty appointments at institutions including Harvard University and Northwestern University, collaborating with researchers at the Institute for Advanced Study, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and the Simons Foundation programs. He has taught courses that intersect with curricula at the American Mathematical Society meetings and contributed to seminars at Princeton University, Stanford University, and Yale University. Zaslow’s academic service includes participation in conferences organized by the International Mathematical Union, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and the American Physical Society.

Research and contributions

Zaslow’s research centers on mirror symmetry, an area connecting Calabi–Yau manifolds, symplectic geometry, and algebraic geometry through dualities inspired by string theory. He co-developed approaches linking Fukaya category constructions to derived category methods and explored relationships between D-brane configurations and homological mirror symmetry proposed by Maxim Kontsevich. His collaborations addressed mathematical structures arising from topological string theory, supersymmetry, and aspects of Chern–Simons theory, interacting with work by scholars at Rutgers University, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago. Zaslow contributed to understanding how Fourier–Mukai transform techniques and tropical geometry inform the correspondence between complex and symplectic invariants, relating to results by researchers at ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, and IHES.

Publications and selected works

Zaslow has published articles in journals and conference proceedings alongside colleagues affiliated with Princeton University Press, Springer Verlag, and the American Mathematical Society. Notable papers address homological mirror symmetry, categorical aspects of D-branes, and enumerative predictions from mirror symmetry conjectures tested against computations in Gromov–Witten theory. He has contributed chapters to volumes arising from schools at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and lecture series linked to the Clay Mathematics Institute. Collaborations include joint works with researchers associated with Columbia University, University of Michigan, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London.

Awards and honors

Zaslow’s work has been recognized at workshops and prizes sponsored by institutions such as the Simons Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and professional societies like the American Mathematical Society and the American Physical Society. He has been invited to speak at major venues including the International Congress of Mathematicians, the Strings Conference series, and programs at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Personal life

Outside academia, Zaslow has participated in colloquia and interdisciplinary events connecting departments at Harvard University, Northwestern University, and regional institutions like Chicago, engaging with outreach initiatives linked to organizations such as the American Mathematical Society and local science festivals.

Category:American physicists Category:Mathematical physicists Category:Harvard University alumni