Shiraz Minwalla
Encyclopedia
Shiraz Minwalla is an India
n theoretical physicist
and string theorist
. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Theoretical Physics at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
, Mumbai
. Prior to his present position, he was a Harvard Junior Fellow
and subsequently an Assistant Professor at Harvard University
.
Minwalla graduated from Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur in 1996, and was awarded the President's Gold Medal for topping the entire group; he later moved to Princeton University
to earn his Ph.D. He was awarded the Swarnajayanti Fellowship 2005-06 by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India
.
He was awarded in 2011 the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, the highest science award in India
, in the physical sciences category.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n theoretical physicist
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
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...
. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Theoretical Physics at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is a research institution in India dedicated to basic research in mathematics and the sciences. It is a Deemed University and works under the umbrella of the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It is located at Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. Prior to his present position, he was a Harvard Junior Fellow
Harvard Society of Fellows
The Harvard Society of Fellows is a group of scholars selected at the beginning of their careers by Harvard University for extraordinary scholarly potential, upon whom distinctive academic and intellectual opportunities are bestowed in order to foster their individual growth and intellectual...
and subsequently an Assistant Professor at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Minwalla graduated from Indian Institute of Technology
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is a Central deemed University located in Uttar Pradesh, about 15 km north-west of the city of Kanpur in the Kalyanpur suburb....
Kanpur in 1996, and was awarded the President's Gold Medal for topping the entire group; he later moved to 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....
to earn his Ph.D. He was awarded the Swarnajayanti Fellowship 2005-06 by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
He was awarded in 2011 the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, the highest science award in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, in the physical sciences category.
Notable contributions to the field
- Analysis of primary operators on AdS4 and AdS7
- Three-point functions in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and AdS/CFT
- NoncommutativeNoncommutative geometryNoncommutative geometry is a branch of mathematics concerned with geometric approach to noncommutative algebras, and with construction of spaces which are locally presented by noncommutative algebras of functions...
perturbative dynamics (with Nathan SeibergNathan SeibergNathan "Nati" Seiberg is an Israeli American theoretical physicist who works on string theory. He was recipient of a 1996 MacArthur Fellowship and the Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics in 1998. He is currently a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, USA...
and Mark Van Raamsdonk) - Noncommutative solitonSolitonIn mathematics and physics, a soliton is a self-reinforcing solitary wave that maintains its shape while it travels at constant speed. Solitons are caused by a cancellation of nonlinear and dispersive effects in the medium...
s (with Andrew StromingerAndrew StromingerAndrew Eben Strominger is an American theoretical physicist who works on string theory and son of Jack L. Strominger. He is currently a professor at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Society of Fellows...
and Rajesh GopakumarRajesh GopakumarRajesh Gopakumar is a theoretical physicist at Harish-Chandra Research Institute , Allahabad, India. He hails from the state of Kerala and was the 1987 topper in IIT-JEE.-Career:...
) - OM-theory (with Nathan SeibergNathan SeibergNathan "Nati" Seiberg is an Israeli American theoretical physicist who works on string theory. He was recipient of a 1996 MacArthur Fellowship and the Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics in 1998. He is currently a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, USA...
, Andrew StromingerAndrew StromingerAndrew Eben Strominger is an American theoretical physicist who works on string theory and son of Jack L. Strominger. He is currently a professor at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Society of Fellows...
and Rajesh GopakumarRajesh GopakumarRajesh Gopakumar is a theoretical physicist at Harish-Chandra Research Institute , Allahabad, India. He hails from the state of Kerala and was the 1987 topper in IIT-JEE.-Career:...
) - Stringy interactions in pp-waves
- Some insights about tachyon condensationTachyon condensationIn particle physics, theoretical processes that eliminate or resolve particles or fields into better understood phenomena are called, by extension and metaphor with the macroscopic process, "condensation"...