Differential geometry is a vast subject that has its roots in both the classical theory of curves and surfaces and in the work of Gauss and Riemann motivated by the calculus of variations. The subjects with strong representation at Cornell are symplectic geometry, Lie theory, and geometric analysis.
Symplectic geometry is a branch of differential geometry and differential topology that has its origins in the Hamiltonian formulation of classical mechanics. Geometric analysis is a mathematical discipline at the interface of differential geometry and differential equations. Richard Hamilton and James Eells Jr. did some of their groundbreaking work while at Cornell.
Lie groups are named after the 19th century mathematician Sophus Lie, who was motivated by the problem of analyzing the continuous symmetries of differential equations. This area has expanded to encompass a wide variety of topics related to finite and continuous groups. It has significant applications to harmonic analysis, number theory, and mathematical physics. One of the most influential mathematicians working in Lie theory in the early 1950s was Eugene Dynkin, a member of the Cornell mathematics department from 1977 to 2014.
H. C. Wang was a member of the department from 1966 to 1978 and made groundbreaking contributions to differential geometry, topology, and Lie groups. The H. C. Wang instructorship is named in his honor. William Thurston, one of the most influential modern geometers was active in the department from 2003 to 2012.
Faculty Members
| Dan M. Barbasch | Representation theory of reductive Lie groups |
| Yuri Berest | Representation theory, noncommutative geometry, mathematical physics |
| Xiaodong Cao | Differential geometry and geometric analysis |
| Robert Connelly | Discrete geometry, computational geometry and the rigidity of discrete structures |
| Benjamin Dozier | Dynamical systems, Riemann surfaces |
| Tara Holm | Symplectic geometry |
| John H. Hubbard | Analysis, differential equations, differential geometry |
| Allen Knutson | Algebraic geometry and algebraic combinatorics |
| Yusheng Luo | Dynamical systems, complex dynamics, Teichmüller theory |
| Reyer Sjamaar | Symplectic geometry |
| Daniel Stern | Differential geometry, PDEs, calculus of variations |
| Nicolas Templier | Number theory, automorphic forms, and mathematical physics |
| Rachel Webb | Problems related to Gromov-Witten theory |
| Xin Zhou | Geometric Analysis and Calculus of Variations |
Emeritus and Other Faculty
| Kelly Delp | Geometric structures, manifolds and orbifolds |
| Ritvik Ramkumar | Algebraic geometry, commutative algebra |
| Birgit E. Speh | Lie groups, automorphic forms, representation theory |
| Zhihan Wang | Differential geometry |
| Hosea Wondo | Geometric analysis |
