Bernard Derrida

Bernard Derrida is a Professor at the Collège de France, holding the Chair of Statistical Physics. He is affiliated with the Department of Physics at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he works in the statistical physics laboratory. His research spans non-equilibrium physics, disordered systems, dynamical systems, and biological modeling.

• Born in 1952 in El Biar, Algeria
• Joined the Collège de France as a professor in 2015
• Former researcher at CEA Saclay (1979–1993)

His work focuses on large deviations, stochastic thermodynamics, renormalization, and front dynamics. Lectures and annual summaries highlight his expertise in exclusion processes, Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equations, and Fisher-KPP dynamics.

Scientific Awards

• Boltzmann Medal
• Three Physicists Prize (2015)
• Daniel Guinier Prize (1977)
• IBM Prize for Physics (1985)
• Grand Prix Ampère (2001)
• Knight of the Legion of Honor (2017)

Derrida has held visiting positions in Denmark, the USA, Italy, Israel, the UK, and Sweden. He is a member of the French Academy of Sciences since 2004.