The KPZ fixed point found its exact formulation through the work of Jeremy Quastel, Konstantin Matetski, and Daniel Remenik. A mathematician specializing in probability theory, stochastic processes, and partial differential equations, Quastel focuses his research on the large-scale behavior of interacting particle systems and the mathematical frameworks that describe natural processes of change and evolution.
Academic Formation and Early Career
Born in 1963 in Canada, Quastel spent his formative years in Vancouver, British Columbia. He pursued his doctoral studies at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, completing his PhD in 1990 under the supervision of S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan. Following his doctoral work, he held a postdoctoral position at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley before serving as a faculty member at the University of California, Davis for six years.
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Quastel returned to Canada in 1998 to join the University of Toronto. Throughout his tenure at the institution, he has served in various capacities, including a term as department head from 2017 until 2021. He currently holds the title of University Professor, continuing his contributions to the field of applied mathematics and the study of stochastic partial differential equations.
Research and Professional Recognition
The research conducted by Quastel covers hydrodynamic theory, integrable probability, and the analysis of stochastic partial differential equations. His career has been marked by numerous distinctions, including the 2013 Killam Research Fellowship and the 2025 NSERC John C. Polanyi Award. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2021, having previously been named a Fellow of the Fields Institute in 2018 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2016.
Fast facts
- Born: 1963, Canada
- Education: New York University (PhD, 1990)
- Primary Employer: University of Toronto
- Fellow of the Royal Society: 2021
- Fellow of the Fields Institute: 2018
- NSERC John C. Polanyi Award: 2025
- Sloan Fellow: 1996–1998
Questions readers ask
What is the primary focus of Jeremy Quastel's mathematical research?
He specializes in probability theory, stochastic processes, and partial differential equations, with a particular interest in interacting particle systems and the KPZ fixed point.
Where did Jeremy Quastel complete his doctoral studies?
He earned his PhD at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University in 1990.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society — 2021
- Held posts at University of Toronto
- Fields: mathematics
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