Nalini Anantharaman

Nalini Anantharaman is a Professor at the Collège de France, holding the prestigious Chair of Spectral Geometry. She is actively engaged in teaching and research, with courses scheduled through January 2026 at the Marcelin Berthelot Site, including sessions in the Mireille Delmas-Marty Amphitheater.

Her research focuses on spectral geometry, which connects the geometry of objects to their vibration spectra. Key areas of interest include:

• Quantum chaos: studying the spectrum of Schrödinger operators in chaotic Hamiltonian systems
• Inverse problems: determining geometric properties from vibration spectra
• Connections between spectrum and topology via index theorems
• Spectra of disordered systems and random geometric objects
• Wave control and optimal placement for wave manipulation
• Interdisciplinary applications in mathematical physics

Professor Anantharaman's work bridges pure mathematics with applications in physics, particularly in understanding quantum systems and topological materials. Her research has both theoretical depth and practical implications for modern physics.

Recent publications include her inaugural lecture at the Collège de France (published digitally in May 2023 and in print in April 2023) and a dialogue on hyperbolic geometry with William Marx published in June 2025. Her upcoming courses will focus on mathematical aspects of spectral geometry, with opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement with physicists.