Prof DINH Tien Cuong

Prof Dinh is a leading researcher in complex dynamics in higher dimensions, solving several important problems, and introducing new concepts and methods to the field. He also contributed significantly to the theory of foliations, the study of Fekete points, random polynomials and scattering resonances for Schrödinger operators. Prof Dinh received the Humboldt Prize (2018) and the Faculty’s Outstanding Scientist Award (2018). He was appointed as NUS Provost’s Chair Professor in 2017.

I was drawn to the beauty of mathematical ideas alongside the rigour. These abstract ideas can be efficient in an amazing way. In 1998, I decided to work with French mathematician Prof Nessim SIBONY in an exciting research area he founded – complex dynamical systems. This is where an evolution rule describes future states following the current one. We study systems’ long-term qualitative behaviour using tools from many branches of pure mathematics.

I was fortunate to gain insights from working closely with Prof Sibony as I delved into my research domain of dynamical systems of several complex variables. Each new discovery gives me great satisfaction. Our ideas help to develop the general theory of dynamical systems which has applications to various fields, like mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, economics, and medicine. As research becomes more specialised, discoveries are often the result of collaborations between different domains. I enjoy learning different mathematical fields and applying my knowledge to solve problems beyond my domain of expertise. I am gratified that my contributions to algebraic geometry and some mathematical physics problems are recognised by scientists in these fields. ”