Abhay Vasant Ashtekar (born 5 July 1949) is an Indian theoretical physicist who created Ashtekar variables and is one of the founders of loop quantum gravity and its subfield loop quantum cosmology.[2] Ashtekar has also written a number of descriptions of loop quantum gravity that are accessible to non-physicists. He is an Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus of Physics and former Director of the Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry at Pennsylvania State University.
Abhay Vasant Ashtekar
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|---|---|
| Born | (1949-07-05) 5 July 1949 (age 75) |
| Alma mater | University of Texas, Austin, University of Chicago |
| Known for | Ashtekar variables Quantum gravity |
| Awards | Member of National Academy of Sciences, first Gravity Prize by the Gravity Research Foundation, Massachusetts, Einstein Prize |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics |
| Institutions | Pennsylvania State University |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert Geroch |
In 1999, Ashtekar and his colleagues were able to calculate the entropy for a black hole, matching a 1974 prediction by Stephen Hawking.[3] Oxford mathematical physicist Roger Penrose has described Ashtekar's approach to quantum gravity as "The most important of all the attempts at 'quantizing' general relativity."[4] Ashtekar was elected as Member to National Academy of Sciences in May 2016.[5]
Abhay Ashtekar grew up in several cities, including Mumbai, in the state of Maharashtra, India. After completing his undergraduate education in India, Ashtekar enrolled in the graduate program for gravitation at the University of Texas at Austin.[1] He went on to complete his PhD at the University of Chicago under the supervision of Robert Geroch in 1978 and held several appointments at Oxford, Paris, Syracuse before settling at Pennsylvania State University.[6]
He married Christine Clarke in 1986[7] and the two have a son, Neil Ashtekar.
Abhay Ashtekar is an atheist, though he enjoys reading on Indian and other eastern philosophy, namely the Tao and the Zen traditions. Furthermore, he believes to be inspired from the Bhagavad Gita as regards his attitude towards work.[7]