Robbert Dijkgraaf
Encyclopedia
Robertus Henricus "Robbert" Dijkgraaf (born January 24, 1960) is a Dutch
mathematical physicist
and string theorist
.
Robertus Henricus Dijkgraaf was born on 24 January 1960 in Ridderkerk
, Netherlands
. He currently lives in Amsterdam
, Netherlands. Dijkgraaf is married to the author Pia de Jong and has three children.
Dijkgraaf started his education in physics
at Utrecht University
in 1978. After completing his Bachelor's degree
equivalent in 1982 he briefly turned away from physics to pursue painting at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie
. He later continued his education at Utrecht University, where he studied under Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft. He obtained his doctorate in 1989 (cum laude).
Subsequently, Dijkgraaf held positions at Princeton University
and the Institute for Advanced Study
. In 1992, he was appointed professor at the University of Amsterdam, where he held the chair of mathematical physics
.
His research focuses on string theory
and the interface of mathematics
and physics in general. He is most well-known for his work on topological string theory
and matrix models, and has given name to the Dijkgraaf-Witten
invariants and the Witten-Dijkgraaf-Verlinde
-Verlinde
formula.
In 2003, Dijkgraaf was awarded the Spinoza Prize. In doing so he became the first recipient of the award whose advisor also was a recipient ('t Hooft received the first spinozapremie in 1995).
In the Netherlands, Dijkgraaf is also a promotor of hard sciences. He frequently appears on Dutch national television and has a (monthly) column in the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad
. He also used part of his Spinoza Prize grant to set up a website targeted at children to promote science: Proefjes.nl.
Dijkgraaf is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
and the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities. Since May 1, 2008 he is president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science.. He is also elected as one of the two co-chairs of the InterAcademy Council for the period 2009-2013.
He was a keynote speaker at the Science & Technology Summit
in The Hague
on November 18, 2010.
Starting July 1, 2012 Dijkgraaf will be the director of the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton, NJ, USA. From that date he will lay down his position as president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
mathematical physicist
Mathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
and string theorist
String theory
String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system...
.
Robertus Henricus Dijkgraaf was born on 24 January 1960 in Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 44,886 in 2010, and covers an area of 25.10 km² ....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He currently lives in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands. Dijkgraaf is married to the author Pia de Jong and has three children.
Dijkgraaf started his education in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
in 1978. After completing his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
equivalent in 1982 he briefly turned away from physics to pursue painting at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie
Gerrit Rietveld Academie
-Profile:More than 45% of the student population comes from abroad, originating from over 60 different countries around the world. Most of the classes are in English...
. He later continued his education at Utrecht University, where he studied under Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft. He obtained his doctorate in 1989 (cum laude).
Subsequently, Dijkgraaf held positions at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
. In 1992, he was appointed professor at the University of Amsterdam, where he held the chair of mathematical physics
Mathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
.
His research focuses on string theory
String theory
String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system...
and the interface of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics in general. He is most well-known for his work on topological string theory
Topological string theory
In theoretical physics, topological string theory is a simplified version of string theory. The operators in topological string theory represent the algebra of operators in the full string theory that preserve a certain amount of supersymmetry...
and matrix models, and has given name to the Dijkgraaf-Witten
Edward Witten
Edward Witten is an American theoretical physicist with a focus on mathematical physics who is currently a professor of Mathematical Physics at the Institute for Advanced Study....
invariants and the Witten-Dijkgraaf-Verlinde
Erik Verlinde
Erik Peter Verlinde is a Dutch theoretical physicist and string theorist. He is the identical twin brother of physicist Herman Verlinde. The Verlinde formula, which is important in conformal field theory and topological field theory, is named after him. His research deals with string theory,...
-Verlinde
Herman Verlinde
Herman Louis Verlinde is a Dutch theoretical physicist and string theorist. He is a professor at Princeton University. He is also the identical twin brother of Erik Verlinde.-External links:**...
formula.
In 2003, Dijkgraaf was awarded the Spinoza Prize. In doing so he became the first recipient of the award whose advisor also was a recipient ('t Hooft received the first spinozapremie in 1995).
In the Netherlands, Dijkgraaf is also a promotor of hard sciences. He frequently appears on Dutch national television and has a (monthly) column in the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...
. He also used part of his Spinoza Prize grant to set up a website targeted at children to promote science: Proefjes.nl.
Dijkgraaf is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is an organisation dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands...
and the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities. Since May 1, 2008 he is president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science.. He is also elected as one of the two co-chairs of the InterAcademy Council for the period 2009-2013.
He was a keynote speaker at the Science & Technology Summit
Meet the Future, Science & Technology Summit 2010
Meet the Future, Science & Technology Summit 2010 was a one day science and technology convention held at the World Forum Convention Center in The Hague, Netherlands on November 18, 2010, organized by Platform Bèta Techniek , an organization which has been empowered by the Dutch government to...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
on November 18, 2010.
Starting July 1, 2012 Dijkgraaf will be the director of the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton, NJ, USA. From that date he will lay down his position as president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.