Scoring 780 on the math portion of the SAT-I exam at age eleven signaled the early academic trajectory of Jeremy Kahn. Raised in New York City, he demonstrated an affinity for mathematical proofs as a child, eventually becoming the youngest member to represent the United States at the International Mathematical Olympiad at age thirteen.
Early Development and Competition
Kahn attended Hunter College High School during his youth. He participated in the Johns Hopkins University Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth. His competitive career in the International Mathematical Olympiad spanned four years, resulting in two silver medals in 1983 and 1984, followed by two gold medals in 1985 and 1986. By 1988, his performance in the Putnam competition earned him the status of Putnam Fellow.
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He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University. Moving to the University of California, Berkeley, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in 1995. His doctoral work was supervised by Curtis McMullen, focusing on the thesis titled Holomorphic removability of quadratic polynomial Julia sets.
Professional Appointments
Kahn held an assistant professorship at the California Institute of Technology from 1995 until 1998. Following a period as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto, he worked as an analyst at Highbridge Capital Management. He later returned to academic roles as a postdoc and assistant professor at Stony Brook University. Currently, he serves as a professor of mathematics at Brown University.
Research and Recognition
His primary research interests include complex dynamics, hyperbolic geometry, and Riemann surfaces. In 2012, Kahn and Vladimir Markovic were recipients of the Clay Research Award. This honor recognized their work regarding the surface subgroup conjecture and their proof of the Ehrenpreis conjecture. In 2014, he delivered an invited address at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Seoul.
Fast facts
- Born: 1969, New York City
- Undergraduate Institution: Harvard University
- Doctoral Institution: University of California, Berkeley
- Professional Field: Applied Mathematics
- 2012 Award: Clay Research Award
- Current Employer: Brown University
Questions readers ask
What subjects does Jeremy Kahn research?
His work encompasses hyperbolic geometry, Riemann surfaces, and complex dynamics.
Which major conjectures has Kahn proved?
He is credited with the proof of the surface subgroup conjecture and the Ehrenpreis conjecture.
Achievements
- Held posts at Brown University, California Institute of Technology and Stony Brook University
- Fields: dynamical system
