MEHRAN KARDAR, Professor
of Physics
Research Interests
My research has mainly focused on the following
problems in Statistical Mechanics:
(1) Non-equilibrium collective behavior
as in turbulence, aggregation and deposition in growth, transport
with random inputs and outputs., etc., is best described starting
from phenomenological equations constructed on the basis of symmetries
and conservation laws. We have successfully applied this methodology
to several problems involving polymers, flux lines, and growing
surfaces.
(2) Disordered systems such as spin-
and flux-glasses, are characterized by a complex (free) energy landscape
and slow dynamics. Using analytical solutions, or clever numerical
algorithms, we have found exact results, or bounds, for a number
of simple glassy systems motivated by flux lines in superconductors.
Even these simple models are of great value, indicating interesting
connections to diverse problems in optimization, neural networks,
and evolution.
(3) Biologically motivated problems
such as the evolution of orientational selectivity in cells of the
visual cortex, and conformations of heteropolymers.
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Biographical Sketch
Professsor Kardar received both his B.A. in Natural Sciences (1979)
and his M.A. (1983) from the University of Cambridge . From 1983–86,
he was a Junior Fellow of the Harvard University Society of Fellows
and in 1986 he joined the MIT Department of Physics as an Assistant
Professor. In 1990, he was promoted to Associate Professor of Physics,
receiving tenure in 1992 and a full professorship in 1996.
Honors and awards include an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (1987–91),
a Presidential Young Investigator Award (1989), the MIT Class of
1948 Career Development Chair (1990–92), the MIT Edgerton Award
for Junior Faculty Achievements (1991), the Buechner Teaching Prize
of the MIT Department of Physics (1992), and the MIT School of Science
Prize in Graduate Teaching (1993).
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Selected Publications
Professor
Kardar's Complete Publication List
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