Ganapathy Baskaran

{{short description|Indian theoretical physicist|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}

{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Ganapathy Baskaran

| image = க. பாசுக்கரன்.jpg

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| caption = Baskaran in 2014

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| nationality = Indian

| fields = Condensed matter theory, Strongly correlated materials

| workplaces = Institute of Mathematical Sciences
Perimeter Institute
IIT Madras

| alma_mater = Indian Institute of Science
The American College in Madurai
Thiagarajar college

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| known_for = Resonating valence bond theory

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| awards = Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (1990)
ICTP Prize (1983)
G.N. Ramachandran - SASTRA Award (2019)

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| spouse = Whiterose

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Ganapathy Baskaran is an Indian theoretical physicist, known for his work on condensed matter physics and strongly correlated quantum materials.{{cite web |title=Excitements in Condensed Matter Physics |url=http://www.iitk.ac.in/phy/New01/poster.htm |publisher=Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur |access-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050911034842/http://www.iitk.ac.in/phy/New01/poster.htm |archive-date=11 September 2005 }} Baskaran is an Emeritus Professor of physics at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai, India and holds a Distinguished Visiting Research Chair at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada.{{cite web|last=Lambert |first=Lisa |title=Eight New Distinguished Research Chairs Join PI |url=http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/News/In_The_Media/Eight_New_Distinguished_Research_Chairs_Join_PI/ |publisher=Perimeter Institute |access-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522132716/http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/News/In_The_Media/Eight_New_Distinguished_Research_Chairs_Join_PI/ |archive-date=22 May 2012 }} Recently he became a Distinguished Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (Chennai), India.{{Cite web |title=IIT Madras has a total of about 20 Distinguished (Visiting) Professors in all Departments put together. |url=https://www.iitm.ac.in/recognitions/distinguished-professors }}

Baskaran completed his undergraduate education at the Thiagarajar college and the American College in Madurai, India. He got his PhD in theoretical physics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1975.{{cite web|title=Prof. G. Baskaran's Brief Profile|url=http://www.jamia-physics.net/salam/10/baskaran_profile.html|publisher=Jamia Millia Islamia|access-date=17 October 2012}}

In 1987–88, Baskaran, along with P.W. Anderson at Princeton University, developed the resonating valence bond theory to describe the behavior of high-temperature superconductors. Baskaran is also known for his discovery of emergent gauge fields in strongly correlated systems, predictions of p-wave superconductivity in strontium ruthenate and of high-temperature superconductivity in graphene and graphite at optimal doping.

In 1983, Baskaran was the first recipient of the ICTP Prize awarded by the International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy to young scientists in developing countries for work in physics and mathematics.{{cite web|title=Abdus Salam ICTP Timeline|url=http://www.ictp.it/media/57095/timeline08.pdf|publisher=International Center for Theoretical Physics|access-date=25 April 2012|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193059/http://www.ictp.it/media/57095/timeline08.pdf|url-status=dead}} He was a Member at the Institute for Advanced Study in 1996.[http://www.ias.edu/people/cos/frontpage?page=10 Institute for Advanced Study: A Community of Scholars] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106223426/http://www.ias.edu/people/cos/frontpage?page=10 |date=2013-01-06 }} He was also awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize by the Government of India in 1990; and in 2019 he was awarded the G.N. Ramachandran - SASTRA Award.{{Cite web |title=SASTRA-G.N. Ramachandran Award winners 2019 |url=https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/116/04/0689.pdf }} He also obtained Distinguished Alumni Award of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore{{Cite web |title=IISc Wall of Fame- Distinguished Alumnus/alumna Award |url=https://www.iiscaana.org/iisc-wall-of-fame/ |access-date=30 September 2022 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721225842/https://www.iiscaana.org/iisc-wall-of-fame/ |url-status=dead }} and The Thiagarajar College, Madurai, India.