ArticleslgStudy

mathematics

Mihalis Dafermos

Mihalis Dafermos is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mihalis Dafermos rather than just read about it. In short: Mihalis Dafermos (Greek: Μιχάλης Δαφέρμος; born October 1976) is a Greek mathematician. He is Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and holds the Lowndean Chair of Astronomy and Geometry at the University of Cambridge.

Mihalis Dafermos — main illustration
Mihalis Dafermos — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Mihalis Dafermos belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Mihalis Dafermos to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Mihalis Dafermos from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mihalis Dafermos (Greek: Μιχάλης Δαφέρμος; born October 1976) is a Greek mathematician. He is Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and holds the Lowndean Chair of Astronomy and Geometry at the University of Cambridge. Dafermos studied mathematics at Harvard University and earned a bachelor's degree in 1997. He submitted his doctoral dissertation titled Stability and Instability of the Cauchy Horizon for the Spherically Symmetric Einstein-Maxwell-Scalar Field Equations in 2001, under the supervision of Demetrios Christodoulou at Princeton University. He has won the Adams Prize writing on the subject Differential Equations in 2004 and the Whitehead Prize in 2009 for "his work on the rigorous analysis of hyperbolic partial differential equations in general relativity." In 2015 he was elected as a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

References

External links Homepage at Cambridge

Illustrations

Mihalis Dafermos illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mihalis Dafermos

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mihalis Dafermos claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mihalis Dafermos before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mihalis Dafermos ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mihalis Dafermos

In research
Mihalis Dafermos appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Mihalis Dafermos in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Mihalis Dafermos is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1976 births, 20th-century Greek mathematicians, 21st-century Greek mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Mihalis Dafermos outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Mihalis Dafermos in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Mihalis Dafermos means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Mihalis Dafermos out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mihalis Dafermos in simple terms?

Mihalis Dafermos (Greek: Μιχάλης Δαφέρμος; born October 1976) is a Greek mathematician. He is Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and holds the Lowndean Chair of Astronomy and Geometry at the University of Cambridge.

Why does Mihalis Dafermos matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mihalis Dafermos?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mihalis Dafermos.

Tags

  • 1976 births
  • 20th-century Greek mathematicians
  • 21st-century Greek mathematicians
  • Cambridge mathematicians
  • Fellows of the American Mathematical Society
  • Harvard College alumni
  • Living people
  • Lowndean Professors of Astronomy and Geometry
  • Princeton University alumni
  • Whitehead Prize winners

Keep exploring