Benson S. Farb

Benson Farb is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Chicago. He is a topologist whose primary object of study is the discrete group. Benson founded the theory of relatively hyperbolic groups, contributed to the quasi-isometric rigidity classification of lattices in semisimple groups, initiated the quasi-isometric analysis of solvable groups, and proved new rigidity theorems for representations in low rank using convex geometry. In pure geometry, he contributed to Teich muller theory, simpicial norm, and to group actions. Finally, with his student Church, he has introduced the idea of representation stability which has become an important tool in studying unstable homology groups of configuration spaces and arithmetic groups.