Robbert Dijkgraaf (born January 24, 1960) is a Dutch mathematical physicist and string theorist.
Dijkgraaf started his studies in physics at the Utrecht University in 1978. After completing his 'kandidaatsexamen' (at the time the Dutch equivalent to the Anglo-Saxon Bachelor's degree) in 1982 he briefly turned away from physics because he didn't feel challenged enough, to pursue painting at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. He later continued his stud...
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Robbert Dijkgraaf (born January 24, 1960) is a Dutch mathematical physicist and string theorist.
Dijkgraaf started his studies in physics at the Utrecht University in 1978. After completing his 'kandidaatsexamen' (at the time the Dutch equivalent to the Anglo-Saxon Bachelor's degree) in 1982 he briefly turned away from physics because he didn't feel challenged enough, to pursue painting at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. He later continued his studies at the Utrecht University, where he studied under under Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft to obtain his doctorate in 1989 (cum laude).
Subsequently, Dijkgraaf held positions at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study. In 1992, he was appointed professor at the University of Amsterdam, where he held the chair of mathematical physics, until he became 'University professor' in 2005.
His research focuses on string theory and the interface of mathematics and physics in general. He is most well-known for his work on topological...
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