Karen K. Uhlenbeck

Photo by Lee Sandberg, Institute for Advanced Study

“I am aware of the fact that I am a role model for young women in mathematics, and that’s partly what I’m here for. It’s hard to be a role model, however, because what you really need to do is show students how imperfect people can be and still succeed. . . . I may be a wonderful mathematician and famous because of it, but I’m also very human.”

Karen K. Uhlenbeck, Math Horizons 3:4 (April 1996). © Mathematical Association of America, 1996. All rights reserved. 

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Karen K. Uhlenbeck (1942) is a mathematician who pioneered modern geometric analysis, a new field that combines techniques of analysis and differential equations to study geometrical and topological problems. She introduced a rigorous mathematical approach to areas of theoretical physics, including quantum field theory, string theory, and general relativity. Among her other research interests are the calculus of variations, integrable systems, and duality in physics. In 2019, she was the first woman awarded the Abel Prize for extraordinary contributions to mathematics. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. 

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