Bio
Jianfeng Lu is an applied mathematician interested in mathematical analysis and algorithm development for problems from computational physics, theoretical chemistry, materials science, machine learning, and other related fields.
More specifically, his current research focuses include:
High dimensional PDEs; generative models and sampling methods; control and reinforcement learning; electronic structure and many body problems; quantum molecular dynamics; multiscale modeling and analysis.
Education
- Ph.D. Princeton University, 2009
Positions
- James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Mathematics
- Professor of Mathematics
- Associate Professor of Chemistry
- Professor of Physics
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- Feng Kang Prize of Scientific Computing. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 2023
- IMA Prize in Mathematics and its Applications. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. 2017
- CAREER Award. National Science Foundation. 2015
- Sloan Research Fellowship. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. 2013
- Porter Ogden Jacobus Fellowship. Princeton University. 2008
Courses Taught
- PHYSICS 590: Selected Topics in Theoretical Physics
- MATH 790-90: Minicourse in Advanced Topics
- MATH 757: Introduction to Linear Programming and Game Theory
- MATH 756: Elementary Differential Equations
- MATH 690-70: Topics in Applied Mathematics
- MATH 660: Numerical Partial Differential Equations
- MATH 555: Ordinary Differential Equations
- MATH 494: Research Independent Study
- MATH 493: Research Independent Study
- MATH 393: Research Independent Study
- MATH 375: Introduction to Linear Programming and Game Theory
- MATH 356: Elementary Differential Equations
In the News
- Duke Announces 32 New Distinguished Professorships (Mar 19, 2024 | Duke Today)
- Duke Awards 32 New Distinguished Professorships for 2024 (Mar 19, 2024)
- Pratt Researchers to Harness Computational Power to Solve Time-Intensive Calculations (Jul 10, 2015)
- Sloan Foundation Names Charbonneau, Lu as 2013 Research Fellows (Feb 15, 2013)
Representative Publications
- Li, Bowen, and Jianfeng Lu. “Space-Time Log-Sobolev Inequality and Hypocoercive Hypercontractivity for Underdamped Langevin Dynamics,” May 24, 2026.
- Feng, Ye, and Jianfeng Lu. “Mirror Descent for Deterministic Optimal Control,” May 4, 2026.
- Lu, Jianfeng. “A sharp hypocoercive entropy decay estimate for underdamped Langevin dynamics,” May 3, 2026.
- Fan, Zexi, Bowen Li, and Jianfeng Lu. “Sharp hypocoercive convergence estimates for underdamped Langevin dynamics via the modified $L^2$ method,” April 11, 2026.
- Fang, Di, Jianfeng Lu, Yu Tong, and Chu Zhao. “Quantum Gibbs sampling through the detectability lemma,” April 8, 2026.