Abhay Ashtekar

"Ashtekar" redirects here. For Ashtekar Surname, see Swakula Sali.

Abhay Vasant Ashtekar
Born (1949-07-05) 5 July 1949 (age 75)
Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India[1]
Alma materUniversity of Texas, Austin, University of Chicago
Known forAshtekar variables Quantum gravity
AwardsMember of National Academy of Sciences, first Gravity Prize by the Gravity Research Foundation, Massachusetts, Einstein Prize
Scientific career
FieldsTheoretical physics
InstitutionsPennsylvania State University
Doctoral advisorRobert Geroch

Abhay Vasant Ashtekar (born 5 July 1949) is an Indian theoretical physicist who created Ashtekar variables and is one of the founders of loop quantum gravity and its subfield loop quantum cosmology.[2] Ashtekar has also written a number of descriptions of loop quantum gravity that are accessible to non-physicists. He is an Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus of Physics and former Director of the Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (now Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos)[3] and Center for Fundamental Theory[4] at Pennsylvania State University.

In 1999, Ashtekar and his colleagues were able to calculate the entropy for a black hole, matching a 1974 prediction by Stephen Hawking.[5] Oxford mathematical physicist Roger Penrose has described Ashtekar's approach to quantum gravity as "The most important of all the attempts at 'quantizing' general relativity."[6] Ashtekar was elected as Member to National Academy of Sciences in May 2016.[7]

  1. ^ Glanz, James (20 April 1999). "Science at work - page 2". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  2. ^ "Indian American professor Abhay Ashtekar wins Einstein prize, 7 facts about the physicist".
  3. ^ "Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos". Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Center for Fundamental Theory". Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  5. ^ Glanz, James (20 April 1999). "Science at work - page 3". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  6. ^ Glanz, James (20 April 1999). "Science at work - page 1". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  7. ^ "May 3, 2016: NAS Members and Foreign Associates Elected". Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.