Gregory F. Lawler

Gregory F. Lawler is the George Wells Beadle Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Chicago. He also maintains appointments in the Department of Statistics and has affiliations with Computational and Applied Mathematics and Financial Mathematics programs.

His academic background includes:

• B.A. (1976) from the University of Virginia
• Ph.D. (1979) from Princeton University under Edward Nelson

Professor Lawler is a leading researcher in probability theory with a focus on conformally invariant processes, particularly the Schramm-Loewner Evolution (SLE) and various forms of random walks. His work bridges pure mathematics and statistical physics, establishing rigorous connections between discrete models and their continuous scaling limits. He has made fundamental contributions to understanding loop-erased random walks, Brownian motion, and the geometric properties of random curves, with applications in statistical mechanics for understanding two-dimensional critical phenomena.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a sustained focus on the mathematical foundations of SLE, with particular attention to natural parametrization, loop measures, convergence questions, and the relationship between discrete models and their continuous limits. His work consistently combines complex analysis with probabilistic methods to establish rigorous results about random curves.

Professor Lawler is actively involved in mentoring through the University of Chicago's REU program and has developed extensive educational materials for students at all levels. His notes on probability theory and stochastic calculus are widely used resources within the mathematics community.

He has authored several influential books including "Random Walk and the Heat Equation," "Conformally Invariant Processes in the Plane," and "Random Walk: A Modern Introduction" (with Vlada Limic), which have become standard references in probability theory.