A 1986 doctoral dissertation titled Renormalization Group, Tree Expansion, and Non-renormalizable Quantum Field Theories marked the early academic trajectory of Giovanni Felder. Born in 1958 in Aarau, Switzerland, he has spent his career examining the intersection of physics and mathematics, focusing on the algebraic and geometric aspects of integrable models within statistical mechanics and quantum field theory.
Academic Training and Early Appointments
Felder completed his schooling in Lugano and Willisau District before enrolling at ETH Zurich. He earned his Master of Science degree in 1982 and his doctorate in 1986 under the supervision of Jürg Fröhlich and Konrad Osterwalder. His postdoctoral career began with a tenure at IHES from 1986 to 1988, followed by a research position at the Institute for Advanced Study from 1988 to 1989. He returned to ETH Zurich as a researcher at the Institute of Theoretical Physics between 1989 and 1991.
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He served as an assistant professor of mathematics at ETH Zurich from 1991 to 1994. After a period as a professor of mathematics at the University of North Carolina starting in 1994, he returned to the ETH Domain in 1996, resuming a professorship at ETH Zurich. From 2013 to 2019, he directed the Institute for Theoretical Studies at ETH Zurich. Over the course of his career, he has supervised 22 doctoral students, including Thomas Willwacher.
Contributions to Mathematical Physics
His research applies mathematical rigor to physical concepts. During the late 1980s, he collaborated with Krzysztof Gawedzki and Antti Kupiainen on the geometry of the Wess-Zumino-Witten model. In 1989, he developed a BRST approach to minimal two-dimensional conformal invariant models. His work with Alexander Varchenko and Vitaly Tarasov explored integrable models and special functions, such as elliptic quantum groups and the elliptic gamma function. In 2000, he and Alberto Cattaneo provided a path integral interpretation for the deformation quantization of Poisson manifolds.
Fast facts
- Born: 1958, Aarau, Switzerland
- Education: ETH Zurich (M.Sc. 1982, Ph.D. 1986)
- Professional Roles: Physicist, mathematician, university teacher
- Institutional Roles: Director of the Institute for Theoretical Studies, ETH Zurich (2013-2019)
- Professional Recognition: Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2013)
- Memberships: Academia Europaea, American Mathematical Society
Questions readers ask
Where did Giovanni Felder receive his university education?
He studied physics at ETH Zurich, completing both his M.Sc. in 1982 and his doctorate in 1986.
What subjects does Giovanni Felder study?
He specializes in the algebraic and geometric properties of integrable models in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory.
Achievements
- Held posts at ETH Zurich, ETH Zurich and ETH Domain
