Research Bio

Svetlana Jitomirskaya explores the mathematical foundations of quantum phenomena through her work at the interface of dynamical systems, spectral theory, and mathematical physics. Her seminal results on quasi-periodic Schrödinger operators have transformed how mathematicians and physicists understand (de)localization in quantum systems. Drawing on deep ideas from analysis, number theory, and probability, her research reveals the surprising complexity that can emerge from deterministic mathematical laws.

In addition to her research, Jitomirskaya has been deeply engaged in the broader mathematical community. She has held leadership roles in major professional organizations, including the International Association of Mathematical Physics, American Mathematical Society, and the Association for Mathematical Research,   and has contributed extensively through committee work. She has played a significant role in shaping mathematics education policy in California and publishes influential opinion pieces on research, education, and policy. Through teaching, mentoring and outreach, she is helping nurture the next generation of mathematicians and foster collaboration across disciplines.

Jitomirskaya is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. Her research has appeared in leading journals, including Annals of Mathematics, Acta Mathematica, GAFA, and Inventiones Mathematicae. She is the recipient of numerous  awards, including the inaugural IMU Ladyzhenskaya Prize, the American Physical Society–American Institute of Physics Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, the American Mathematical Society’s Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize, and the inaugural Barry Prize. She has been an AMS Colloquium lecturer and a plenary speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians.

Research Expertise and Interest

mathematical analysis, probability, dynamical systems