Ivan Z. Corwin
2024 National Award Finalist — Faculty
Current Position:
Professor of Mathematics
Institution:
Columbia University
Discipline:
Applied Mathematics
Recognized for:
Developing Extreme Diffusion Theory to model complex physical systems like the growth of tumors, the propagation of nerve signals, and the early spread of pandemics.
Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Probability Theory, Mathematical Physics, Statistical Physics
Previous Positions:
C.L.E. Moore Instructor, Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Postdoctoral Fellow, Microsoft Research New England
PhD in Mathematics, New York University Courant Institute (Gerard Ben Arous)
BA in Mathematics, Harvard College
Research Summary:
Ivan Corwin, PhD, is exploring the complexities of disordered systems, from small-scale chaos to universal behavior on larger scales. Through integrable mathematical models, Corwin is uncovering novel emergent phenomena across physics and mathematics. Corwin’s work resolves longstanding conjectures and introduces solvable models, enhancing our understanding of fundamental processes such as particle diffusion and stochastic growth. These insights not only advance theoretical understanding but also offer practical applications in diverse fields. For example, Corwin’s Extreme Diffusion Theory is informing modeling systems where extremes matter, like the genetic mutations of viruses, the propagation of nerve signals, the diffusion of ideas in social networks, and the movement of photons in supernova shockwaves.
“Amazing phenomena emerge in large complex and often random systems and I seek to understand and quantify how that occurs.”
Key Publications:
- G Barraquand, I Corwin, Z Yang. Stationary measures for integrable polymers on a strip, Inventiones Mathematics, 2024.
- I Corwin, A Knizel. Stationary measure for the open KPZ equation. Journal of Applied Mathematics, 2023.
- I Corwin, P Ghosal. Lower tail of the KPZ equation. Duke Math Journal, 2020.
- G Barraquand, I Corwin. Random-walk in Beta-distributed random environment. Probability Theory and Related Fields, 2017.
Other Honors:
2023 Simons Investigator in Mathematics
2022 Fellow of the American Mathematical Society
2021 Line and Michel Loeve International Prize in Probability
2021 Simons Fellowship in Mathematics
2018 Fellow of the Institute for Mathematical Statistics
2017 Gerald L. Alexanderson Award
2014-2019 Packard Fellowship
2014 Rollo Davidson Prize
2014-2015 Poincare Chair: Institute Henri Poincare
2014 Invited Lecturer: International Congress of Mathematicians