Daniel L. Stein
Encyclopedia
Daniel L. Stein American physicist, is the Dean of Science and Professor of Physics and Mathematics at New York University
.
He has contributed to a wide range of scientific fields. His early
research covered diverse topics, including theoretical work on protein
biophysics
, biological evolution
, amorphous semiconductors, quantum
liquids, topology
of order parameter spaces, liquid crystals, neutron stars, and the interface between particle physics
and cosmology
. His
primary focus, however, has been on quenched randomness in condensed matter
and on stochastic processes in both irreversible and extended systems. His
research on these topics was cited by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
as "pioneering work on the statistical mechanics of
disordered and noisy systems".
He is best known for work on hierarchical dynamics (in collaboration with
Elihu Abrahams, Philip Warren Anderson
, and Richard Palmer); for observing that
protein fluctuational conformations can be modeled using spin glass
techniques; for constructing a theory of fluctuation-driven transitions in
the absence of detailed balance (in collaboration with Robert Maier); for applying stochastic methods to determine lifetimes, stability, and decay of
nanowires and nanomagnets (with a variety of collaborators); and for a
series of rigorous and analytical results (largely with Charles M. Newman
) on
short-range spin glasses, including the introduction of the Newman-Stein
metastate
as a general mathematical tool for analyzing the thermodynamic
properties of disordered systems.
in 1975 with degrees in both physics
and mathematics. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University
in 1979, under the thesis supervision of Philip Warren Anderson. He
stayed on as a faculty member in the Princeton Physics Department until
1987, when he moved to the University of Arizona
Physics Department, where
he served as Department Head from 1995-2005. During that period he also
served as the first Director of the Complex Systems Summer School in Santa
Fe (1988, 1990–1998). In 2005 he moved to New York University as Professor
of Physics and Mathematics and as Provost Faculty Fellow, and became the
NYU Dean of Science in September 2006.
Science Board and on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, and
is a General Member of the Aspen Center for Physics. His awards include a
Sloan Foundation Fellowship (1985–1989), election to Fellowship of the
American Physical Society
(1999), University of Arizona Commission on the
Status of Women Vision 2000 Award, and election to Fellowship of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (2008).
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
He has contributed to a wide range of scientific fields. His early
research covered diverse topics, including theoretical work on protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
biophysics
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
, biological evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, amorphous semiconductors, quantum
Quantum
In physics, a quantum is the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction. Behind this, one finds the fundamental notion that a physical property may be "quantized," referred to as "the hypothesis of quantization". This means that the magnitude can take on only certain discrete...
liquids, topology
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
of order parameter spaces, liquid crystals, neutron stars, and the interface between particle physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
and cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
. His
primary focus, however, has been on quenched randomness in condensed matter
Condensed Matter
Condensed matter may refer to several things*Condensed matter physics, the study of the physical properties of condensed phases of matter*European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, a scientific journal published by EDP sciences...
and on stochastic processes in both irreversible and extended systems. His
research on these topics was cited by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
as "pioneering work on the statistical mechanics of
disordered and noisy systems".
He is best known for work on hierarchical dynamics (in collaboration with
Elihu Abrahams, Philip Warren Anderson
Philip Warren Anderson
Philip Warren Anderson is an American physicist and Nobel laureate. Anderson has made contributions to the theories of localization, antiferromagnetism and high-temperature superconductivity.- Biography :...
, and Richard Palmer); for observing that
protein fluctuational conformations can be modeled using spin glass
Spin glass
A spin glass is a magnet with frustrated interactions, augmented by stochastic disorder, where usually ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic bonds are randomly distributed...
techniques; for constructing a theory of fluctuation-driven transitions in
the absence of detailed balance (in collaboration with Robert Maier); for applying stochastic methods to determine lifetimes, stability, and decay of
nanowires and nanomagnets (with a variety of collaborators); and for a
series of rigorous and analytical results (largely with Charles M. Newman
Charles M. Newman
Charles Michael "Chuck" Newman is a mathematician and a physicist at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University...
) on
short-range spin glasses, including the introduction of the Newman-Stein
metastate
Metastate
In statistical mechanics, the metastate is a probability measure on thespace of all thermodynamic states for a system with quenched randomness. The term metastate, in this context, was first used in...
as a general mathematical tool for analyzing the thermodynamic
properties of disordered systems.
Education & early career
Stein graduated from Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1975 with degrees in both physics
and mathematics. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1979, under the thesis supervision of Philip Warren Anderson. He
stayed on as a faculty member in the Princeton Physics Department until
1987, when he moved to the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
Physics Department, where
he served as Department Head from 1995-2005. During that period he also
served as the first Director of the Complex Systems Summer School in Santa
Fe (1988, 1990–1998). In 2005 he moved to New York University as Professor
of Physics and Mathematics and as Provost Faculty Fellow, and became the
NYU Dean of Science in September 2006.
Honors
He currently serves on the Santa Fe InstituteSanta Fe Institute
The Santa Fe Institute is an independent, nonprofit theoretical research institute located in Santa Fe and dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the fundamental principles of complex adaptive systems, including physical, computational, biological, and social systems.The Institute houses a...
Science Board and on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, and
is a General Member of the Aspen Center for Physics. His awards include a
Sloan Foundation Fellowship (1985–1989), election to Fellowship of the
American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
(1999), University of Arizona Commission on the
Status of Women Vision 2000 Award, and election to Fellowship of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (2008).
External links
- New York University http://www.nyu.edu
- Santa Fe Institute http://www.santafe.edu
- Aspen Center for Physics http://www.aspenphys.org