Ramamurti Shankar

Ramamurti Shankar is the J.W. Gibbs Professor of Physics at Yale University, specializing in theoretical condensed matter physics and quantum field theory. He joined Yale in 1977 as a J.W. Gibbs instructor, became a full professor in 1988, and chaired the Physics Department from 2001 to 2007. His research includes groundbreaking work on the Gross-Neveu model, quantum Hall effect, and composite fermion theory, with over 100 peer-reviewed articles.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree: Indian Institute of Technology
• Ph.D. in theoretical physics: University of California, Berkeley (1974)

Research Interests: Focuses on exact solutions in quantum field theories, statistical mechanics with random impurities, Fermi liquid theory, and fractional quantum Hall effect. His work bridges particle physics and condensed matter systems, emphasizing low-dimensional models and renormalization group techniques.

Awards & Recognition:

• Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize (2009)
• Harwood F. Byrnes/Richard B. Sewall Teaching Prize
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences Membership (2014)

Teaching & Publications: Authored five books including Principles of Quantum Mechanics and Basic Training in Mathematics. His Open Yale Courses lectures (e.g., Physics 200/201) have garnered over 20 million views globally.