Overview
- The International Centre for Theoretical Physics named Deepak Dhar a 2026 Dirac Medallist in August 2026, an honour he shares with Bernard Derrida, Marc Mézard and Haim Sompolinsky.
- ICTP cited the four laureates for moving concepts from equilibrium statistical mechanics into non‑equilibrium systems, optimisation and models used by AI and theoretical neuroscience.
- Dhar’s best‑known research includes the sandpile model and Dhar’s burning algorithm, mathematical results that show how simple local rules can produce rare, large ‘avalanches’ in complex systems.
- Dhar is an INSA Distinguished Professor at ICTS Bengaluru who trained at Caltech and spent decades at TIFR and IISER Pune after returning to India, where he also mentored generations of students.
- The Dirac Medal adds to Dhar’s string of major honours, including the 2022 Boltzmann Medal and the 2023 Padma Bhushan, and it highlights growing use of statistical‑mechanics ideas in fields beyond traditional physics.