Research

General perspective

The Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of Amsterdam (ITFA) supports a long-term research program at the frontiers of theoretical physics. Its goal is to do research in theoretical physics from a broad, unifying perspective that exploits the relationships between different subfields, and to strengthen, both in research and education, connections with experimental physics, and multi-disciplinary ties, such as with mathematics, astrophysics, computational science and possibly the life sciences.
Apart from ‘hard-core’ theory the Institute also features a long-term project on the history of physics, which we hope will act as a nucleation site for a more ambitious program in the history of science in the broader context of the Faculty of Science.

Climate

The research climate we foster will enable young talent—varying from students to postdocs—to extend the boundaries of knowledge at the forefront of physics. The Institute organizes yearly international meetings and workshops in the fields that have our interest, as we did in the past, exploiting the additional fact that Amsterdam is an interesting and attractive city.

Research topics

For a summary of the research activities at ITFA, go to this page. For more detailed information on some of our research topics, follow the links below.

Quantum field theory and particle physics

Research at the High-Energy Theory group concentrates on string theory (see the first section) and quantum field theory (the last two sections).

Statistical physics and condensed-matter theory

The theme of statistical physics and condensed-matter theory comprises an amazingly broad range of physical phenomena. Research at our institute concentrates on the following topics.

History of modern physics

The ITFA also features a long-term research project on the history of physics, headed by Professor Kox. Current research activities are focused on the history of physics in the 19th and 20th centuries, in particular in the Netherlands.