Nathan Ilten

Nathan Ilten is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University (SFU), part of the Faculty of Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Freie Universität Berlin (2010), following a B.S. and B.A. from the University of Chicago. His research focuses on algebraic and arithmetic geometry, with specialties in toric geometry, T-varieties, deformation theory, mirror symmetry, and Fano varieties. He has held positions at UC Berkeley and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics prior to joining SFU in 2014.

Ilten's work emphasizes toric degenerations, cluster algebras, and the interplay between algebraic geometry and combinatorics. He has advised numerous graduate students and postdocs, including Sharon Robins, Karolyn So, and Ahmad Mokhtar. His teaching spans advanced topics in algebraic geometry, commutative algebra, and topology. He regularly contributes to seminars such as the SFU NTAG Seminar and has organized workshops on deformation theory and toric geometry.

His research has been published in leading journals like Duke Mathematical Journal, Michigan Mathematical Journal, and Mathematische Zeitschrift. Key contributions include studies on Fano schemes, Khovanskii bases, and toric degenerations of Fano threefolds. Ilten is also involved in computational algebra, contributing to Macaulay2 packages for toric vector bundles and deformation computations.