New Faculty: Daniel Stern

Daniel Stern

Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Academic focus:

Differential geometry, partial differential equations, calculus of variations

Current research project: 

I'm studying connections between certain “gauge-theoretic” partial differential equations coming from physics and classical geometric objects known as minimal surfaces, with an eye to improving our understanding of the existence theory and structure of solutions in both settings. Recently I've also been exploiting a mysterious relationship between minimal surfaces and isoperimetric inequalities in spectral geometry -- like the fact that a circular drum makes the lowest tone among all drum heads of a given area -- to produce new examples of minimal surfaces and get new information about the spectra of natural differential operators.

Previous positions:

• L.E. Dickson Instructor, Department of Mathematics, University of Chicago, 2020-2023
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto, Canada, 2019-2020

Academic background:

• Ph.D., Mathematics, Princeton University, 2019
• B.S., Mathematics, Duke University, 2014 

Last book read:

"The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

In your own time/when not working:

Playing with my daughter, spending time outdoors

Courses you’re most looking forward to teaching:

Partial differential equations, and all things geometry

What most excites you about Cornell:

Wonderful colleagues and students, and the beautiful setting