Jianfeng Lu

Professor of Mathematics

Jianfeng Lu is an applied mathematician interested in mathematical analysis and algorithm development for problems from computational physics, theoretical chemistry, materials science and other related fields.

More specifically, his current research focuses include:
Electronic structure and many body problems; quantum molecular dynamics; multiscale modeling and analysis; rare events and sampling techniques.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Professor of Mathematics
  • Professor of Physics
  • Associate Professor of Chemistry

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 242 Physics Bldg, 120 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708
  • Office Phone: +1 919 660 2875
  • Email Address: jianfeng@math.duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • Ph.D. Princeton University, 2009

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 690-70: Topics in Applied Mathematics
  • MATH 690-60: Topics in Numerical Methods
  • MATH 660: Numerical Partial Differential Equations
  • MATH 631: Measure and Integration
  • MATH 555: Ordinary Differential Equations
  • MATH 493: Research Independent Study
  • MATH 393: Research Independent Study
  • MATH 391: Independent Study

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Chen, Ziang, Jianfeng Lu, Yulong Lu, and Xiangxiong Zhang. “On the Convergence of Sobolev Gradient Flow for the Gross–Pitaevskii Eigenvalue Problem.” SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis 62, no. 2 (April 30, 2024): 667–91. https://doi.org/10.1137/23m1552553.
  • Lu, J., Y. Wu, and Y. Xiang. “Score-based transport modeling for mean-field Fokker-Planck equations (Accepted).” Journal of Computational Physics 503 (April 15, 2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2024.112859.
  • Chen, Ziang, Jianfeng Lu, Yulong Lu, and Xiangxiong Zhang. “Fully discretized Sobolev gradient flow for the Gross-Pitaevskii eigenvalue problem,” March 9, 2024.
  • Zhou, Mo, and Jianfeng Lu. “Solving Time-Continuous Stochastic Optimal Control Problems: Algorithm Design and Convergence Analysis of Actor-Critic Flow,” February 26, 2024.
  • Lang, Quanjun, and Jianfeng Lu. “Learning Memory Kernels in Generalized Langevin Equations,” February 18, 2024.