Joel Langer
Department of Mathematics
Case Western Reserve University
Joel Langer received the Ph.D. degree from U.C. Santa Cruz in 1980 under the direction of A. J. Tromba. He has held visiting positions at ETH-Zurich, EPFL-Lausanne among other places. Since 1980 he has been on the faculty of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is now a Professor of Mathematics. He says:
``My research has involved variational problems (or gradient or hamiltonian) dynamical systems for curves and surfaces. In the Hamiltonian context, I have been especially interested in connections between topics of classical geometry and soliton theory. Though I regard myself as a (mostly low-dimensional) differential geometer, the geometrical problems which I enjoy are often motivated by concrete physical models---elastic rods, vortex filaments, interfaces, soap bubbles, knots (I am willing to attempt knot tricks on request).''