Alexander Borisovich Zamolodchikov (Russian:Алекса́ндр Бори́сович Замоло́дчиков; born September 18, 1952) is a Russian-American theoretical physicist, known for his contributions toconformal field theory,statistical mechanics,string theory andcondensed matter physics.
He is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished theoretical physicists[1] for his profound contributions to fundamental physics and especially toQuantum Field Theories, for which he was awarded theBreakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics[1] in 2024. He is currently theC.N. Yang – Wei Deng Endowed Chair of Physics atStony Brook University.[2]
Born inNovo-Ivankovo, now part ofDubna, Zamolodchikov earned aM.Sc. innuclear engineering (1975) fromMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology, aPh.D. inphysics from theInstitute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (1978). He joined the research staff ofLandau Institute for Theoretical Physics (1978) where he got aDoctor of Sciences degree (1983).
He co-authored the famousBPZ paper "Infinite Conformal Symmetry in Two-Dimensional Quantum Field Theory",[3] withAlexander Polyakov andAlexander Belavin.[3][4]
He joinedRutgers University (1990) where he co-founded Rutgers New High Energy Theory Center, and was named Board of Governors Professor (2005).[5]
In 2016, he became the inaugural holder of theC. N. Yang/Wei Deng Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics atStony Brook University.[6]
He is the twin brother of the lateAlexei Zamolodchikov (1952–2007), also a noted physicist.[7]
