Dmitri Burago

Dmitri Burago is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). He holds a Ph.D. from St. Petersburg State University (1992) and has been affiliated with Penn State since 1995, progressing through roles from Assistant Professor to his current rank. His research focuses on geometry, dynamical systems, and algorithmic complexity, with notable contributions to metric geometry, Finsler geometry, and boundary rigidity problems.

Education: Ph.D., St. Petersburg State University (1992); Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (1992); M.S. (Summa Cum Laude), St. Petersburg State University (1986).

Research interests include geometric analysis, billiards dynamics, and the interplay between geometry and topology. His work has led to breakthroughs in areas such as the rigidity of metrics, geodesic flows, and the study of hard ball systems. He co-authored the influential book A Course in Metric Geometry (2001), which received the Leroy P. Steel Prize in 2014.

Burago has received numerous accolades, including the Sloan Research Fellowship (1997–2001) and the Steel Prize for Exposition (2014). He serves on editorial boards of journals like Geometry and Topology and has organized conferences globally. His teaching spans undergraduate, graduate, and special topics courses, with extensive experience mentoring students and advising on research projects.

He has led over a dozen NSF-funded research grants, totaling millions in funding, and advised numerous Ph.D. and master’s students. His professional service includes roles on university committees, panels for NSF, ISF, and other agencies, and participation in international conferences. His work bridges pure mathematics with applications in geometric control theory and inverse problems.