A 1992 The Age Short Story Award was presented to Danny Matthew Cornelius Calegari for his work A Green Light, marking an early intersection of his interests in mathematics and literature. Born in 1972 in Melbourne, Australia, he has since established a career as a mathematician, topologist, and university teacher, holding citizenship in both Australia and the United States.
Academic Foundation and Early Career
Calegari completed his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics at the University of Melbourne in 1994, graduating with honors. He moved to the United States for graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his Ph.D. in 2000. His doctoral dissertation focused on foliations of three-dimensional manifolds, completed under the supervision of William Thurston and Andrew Casson. Following his doctoral work, he served as the Benjamin Peirce Assistant Professor at Harvard University from 2000 to 2002.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Institutional Appointments and Research
Following his tenure at Harvard, Calegari joined the faculty at the California Institute of Technology. By 2007, he held the title of Merkin Professor. In 2011, he accepted a position as a University Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, holding the role until 2012. That same year, he moved to the University of Chicago, where he continues to serve as a professor of mathematics. His primary research focus encompasses geometry, dynamical systems, low-dimensional topology, and geometric group theory.
Recognitions and Significant Works
Calegari has contributed extensively to mathematical literature, including monographs such as Foliations and the Geometry of 3-Manifolds and scl (stable commutator length). In 2009, he shared the Clay Research Award for his proof regarding the Marden Tameness Conjecture and the Ahlfors Measure Conjecture. He was elected a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2013. Additionally, he has received the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and presented various academic series, including the Namboodiri Lectures at the University of Chicago and the Blumenthal Lectures at Tel Aviv University.
Fast facts
- Born: 1972, Melbourne, Australia
- Citizenship: Australia, United States
- Ph.D.: University of California, Berkeley, 2000
- Fellow of the American Mathematical Society: 2013
- Brother: Frank Calegari
- Languages: English
Questions readers ask
What subjects does Danny Calegari research?
His research interests include geometry, dynamical systems, low-dimensional topology, and geometric group theory.
Has Danny Calegari published works outside of mathematics?
Yes, he has authored short fiction published in journals including Quadrant, Southerly, and Overland.
Achievements
- Held posts at Harvard University and California Institute of Technology
- Fields: topology
