Jiakun Liu

Dr. Jiakun Liu is an Associate Professor at the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia. He has held this position since January 2022 and maintains an active research program in nonlinear partial differential equations with applications in geometry and optimal transportation. His work has been published in top mathematical journals including Annals of Mathematics, Inventiones Mathematicae, and Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics.

Dr. Liu received his PhD from The Australian National University, Australia. His academic journey includes prestigious fellowships such as the Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Australian Research Council's Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA).

Dr. Liu's primary research focuses on nonlinear elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations, with special emphasis on the regularity theory of Monge-Ampère equations, Hessian equations, and other variational problems. His work extends to related areas of geometry and physics, including the geometry of convex bodies, minimal surfaces, surfaces of prescribed curvatures, and geometric flows. His research has significant applications in optimal transportation theory, which connects mathematical analysis with practical problems in economics, physics, and computer science.

Analysis of Dr. Liu's recent publications reveals a strong focus on regularity theory for Monge-Ampère equations and optimal transportation problems. His work spans pure mathematical theory (regularity of solutions, singular sets, free boundaries) while maintaining connections to geometric applications and practical problems. A notable trend is the increasing interdisciplinary nature of his research, with recent work connecting optimal transport to statistical methods and computer science applications.

Dr. Liu has received several prestigious awards and fellowships:

• UIC International Links Scheme (University of Wollongong, 2015)
• Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from Australian Research Council
• Discovery Project (DP170100929) from Australian Research Council
• Shiing-Shen Chern Mathematical Scholarship from Zhejiang University
• Simons Foundation Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship

Dr. Liu is actively involved in mentoring the next generation of mathematicians, having supervised numerous PhD students including Siyuan Li, Jihang Zhang, Phung Trong Thuc, Yating Wu, and Meng Ji. He has also guided honours students such as Matthew Hughes, Luke McDonald, and Brad Rice. His research is supported by multiple grants, including "Singularity and regularity for Monge-Ampere type equations" (2023-2026), "Monge-Ampere type equations and their applications" (2023-2027), and "Monge-Ampere equations and applications" (2020-2024), demonstrating sustained funding for his research program.

Dr. Liu is an active participant in the mathematical community, organizing conferences such as the International Conference on Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations (honoring Professor Neil Trudinger's 80th birthday) and the 4th Australia-China Joint Conference on Geometric Analysis. He maintains collaborative relationships with researchers across Australia, China, and internationally, contributing to a vibrant research environment in geometric analysis and PDEs.