Johannes Zimmer

Johannes Zimmer is a Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Bath. His research lies at the intersection of applied analysis, mathematical physics, and materials science, with a focus on multiscale modeling and the derivation of macroscopic laws from microscopic dynamics. He is actively involved in research networks supported by the LMS, EPSRC, and EU, and has contributed to major workshops and collaborative projects in nonlinear PDEs and molecular dynamics.

• PhD, Technische Universität München (2000)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology
• Head of Emmy Noether Group, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig
• Faculty Member, University of Bath

Zimmer's research centers on multi-scale methods for dynamic problems, particularly in the context of phase transitions, gradient flows, and molecular systems. He investigates the derivation of thermodynamic quantities such as entropy from microscopic models using tools like large deviation principles and Gamma-convergence. His work addresses rare events in particle systems, kinetic relations in phase boundaries, and the variational structure of irreversible processes. He has made significant contributions to the mathematical analysis of atomistic models, including the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam problem and Frenkel-Kontorova chains.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward fluctuation theory, hydrodynamic limits, and regularized stochastic models such as the Dean-Kawasaki equation. He explores the geometry of dissipative evolution equations and the orthogonality of forces and fluxes in non-equilibrium systems. His work often combines probabilistic and analytical techniques to bridge scales in physical models.

Scientific contributions include:

• Development of the MODOI and GeometricMD software packages for molecular dynamics simulations
• Co-organization of the One World Dynamics Seminar
• Participation in LMS Symposia and EPSRC-funded networks
• Editorship of Analysis and Stochastics of Growth Processes and Interface Models (Oxford University Press)

Zimmer has advised multiple PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, including Daniel Sutton, Marios Stamatakis, and Marcus Kaiser. He has secured research funding from EPSRC, Leverhulme Trust, and EU networks. His teaching includes core courses such as Mathematics 2, Numerical Solution of PDEs, and Advanced PDEs. He has also taught at Caltech and Technische Universität München. He leads research in variational methods for evolution and is part of the Bath Institute for Complex Systems, contributing to summer schools and interdisciplinary initiatives on complex networks and multiscale modeling.