What is Mathematical Physics?

Research in Mathematical Physics at Davis covers a wide range of topics, mainly (but not exclusively):

• string theory and non-commutative geometry (Schwarz, Waldron),
• statistical mechanics and quantum information (Kuperberg, Nachtergaele),
• exactly solvable models and representation theory (Fuchs, Schilling, Tracy),
• random matrix theory and stochastic models (Gravner, Morris, Soshnikov, Tracy),
• integrable systems (Mulase), and
• general relativity (Temple).

Mathematical physics is an interdisciplinary field of academic study in between mathematics and physics, aimed at studying and solving problems inspired by physics within a mathematically rigorous framework. Although mathematical physics and theoretical physics are related, these two notions are often distinguished. Mathematical physics emphasizes the mathematical rigor of the same type as found in mathematics while theoretical physics emphasizes the links to actual observations and experimental physics which often requires the theoretical physicists to use heuristic, intuitive, and approximate arguments.