Stony Brook University announced that Professor Nikita Nekrasov from the Department of Physics and Astronomy has been named a Principal Investigator in the newly launched Simons Collaboration on Probabilistic Paths to Quantum Field Theory. The initiative, directed by Professor Scott Sheffield of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, brings together 14 researchers from various institutions worldwide.
The collaboration aims to unite experts in probability, analysis, and mathematical physics to address foundational problems in quantum field theory (QFT). Members will work toward developing a unified probabilistic foundation for QFT in Euclidean space.
“In recent times, probability theory has made enormous strides, to the point that it provides novel, powerful and insightful approaches to very deep problems in quantum field theory and statistical mechanics,” said Professor and Director of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics (SCGP) Luis Alvarez-Gaume. “Together with independent advances on the theoretical physics side we are witnessing an extremely fertile framework to address fundamental problems in our understanding of the most basic language to express the laws of nature: quantum field theory. We are proud that Professor Nikita Nekrasov is playing a leading role, spearheading Stony Brook’s role in this exciting project.”
According to information from the Simons Foundation, progress in stochastic analysis and random geometry has introduced new probabilistic tools for addressing non-perturbative aspects of QFT. Techniques such as Schramm–Loewner evolution help analyze fractal structures within field theories; regularity structures offer insight into singularities; multiplicative chaos underpins Liouville quantum gravity; and frameworks like mating-of-trees demonstrate how these tools can be combined for results in statistical physics.
The goal is to enable rigorous non-perturbative analysis of key models at the intersection of mathematics and QFT.
“Einstein famously objected to quantum mechanics, remarking that ‘God doesn’t play dice,’ as he resisted the theory’s inherently probabilistic nature. Yet, despite his doubts, quantum field theory—though still lacking complete mathematical foundations—has become the most precise description of nature we possess,” said Professor Nekrasov. “The goal of this collaboration is to build those very foundations, paradoxically, through the tools of probability theory. This joint effort continues the Stony Brook tradition of deep interaction between physicists and mathematicians, a legacy reaching back to C.N. Yang and J.H. Simons.”
Professor Nekrasov specializes in quantum field theory and string theory. He helped found Stony Brook’s Simons Center for Geometry and Physics and holds a professorship at its Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics. He earned his doctorate at Princeton University under Nobel laureate David Gross before joining Stony Brook permanently in 2013 after serving as a professor at France’s Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHES). His honors include awards from French Academy of Sciences (Prix Jacques Herbrand), American Physical Society (Dannie Heineman Prize), among others.
This marks Stony Brook’s second involvement with a Simons Collaboration in Mathematics and Physics through its Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics and Simons Center. The first was The Simons Collaboration for the Nonperturbative Bootstrap led by Professors Leonardo Rastelli (director) and Zohar Komorgodski (PI).
Simons Collaborations bring together leading researchers on major scientific topics with funding up to $2 million per year over four years—with possible extensions—for collaborative research efforts funded by grants administered by the Simons Foundation.
Stony Brook University is recognized as New York’s flagship public university within the State University of New York system. It enrolls more than 26,000 students with over 3,000 faculty members across multiple disciplines including healthcare programs (university overview). The institution ranks #58 overall (#26 among public universities) according to U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges listing (ranking details). As a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), it stands among North America’s top research institutions (AAU membership). Its faculty have received prestigious honors such as Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (faculty achievements). Stony Brook also co-manages Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy—a distinction held by only eight universities nationwide—and serves as anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island.