Erica Jen facts for kids

Erica Jen (born around 1952 – died November 12, 2023) was an American applied mathematician. An applied mathematician uses math to solve real-world problems. She was known for studying how complex systems behave. Her work helped us understand patterns in nature and society.

Erica Jen worked at important research places. These included the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Santa Fe Institute. She also taught at the University of Southern California. Her research looked at things like how cracks spread in materials. She also studied "cellular automata," which are simple rules that create complex patterns.

Early Life and Education

Erica Jen was born in 1952. Her father, Chih-Kung Jen, was a physicist. He helped bring scientists from the U.S. and China back together. This happened in the 1970s.

Erica went to Yale University. After her third year, she went to Beijing University in China. She was the first American allowed to study in China since 1949. She was also the first foreigner to study there after the Cultural Revolution. This was a very important step.

After returning to the U.S., Erica earned her Ph.D. in applied mathematics. She got this degree from Stony Brook University. She then became the first special researcher at the Center for Nonlinear Studies. This center was at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Career Highlights

Erica Jen started her career in 1983. She worked as an assistant professor of mathematics. This was at the University of Southern California. In 1986, she joined the Los Alamos National Laboratory. She worked in their theory division. She also helped lead the Center for Nonlinear Studies there.

In 1995, Jen moved to the Santa Fe Institute. This is a top research center. It studies "complex adaptive systems." These are systems with many parts that interact and change. She first served as the vice president for academic affairs. Later, she became a research professor.

At the Santa Fe Institute, Erica led many new programs. These programs looked at how things change over time. They also studied social networks and how people learn. She created a special program on "robustness." This means how well systems can handle changes or problems. She studied this in physical, biological, and social systems. After 2003, she continued to work with the Santa Fe Institute. She was a member of their science board.

Erica Jen also helped edit a science journal. It was called Physica D: Nonlinearity. She passed away on November 12, 2023.