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I am now a mathematics postdoc at the University of Copenhagen with Magdalena Musat and Mikael Rørdam. I work on algebras of operators on Hilbert space, random matrices, and quantum information. In particular, I study the interaction of free probability and random matrices in the large $n$ limit, with connections to structural properties of von Neumann algebras, optimal transport theory, and continuous model theory.

Career history:

  • 2011-2015 University of Washington B.S. Math, B.A. (Greek and Roman) Classics
  • 2015-2020 Ph.D. student at UCLA with Dimitri Shlyakhtenko.
  • 2020-2023 NSF postdoc and lecturer at UCSD with Todd Kemp.
  • 2023-2024 Postdoc at Fields Institute and York University with Ilijas Farah.
  • 2024 Postdoc at University of Copenhagen with Magdalena Musat and Mikael Rørdam.

Statements of principle and solidarity:

  • Indigenous peoples in the “Americas” have the right to self-determination, to reparations, to reclaim stolen artifacts, and to live in traditional ways on the land that was stolen from them.
  • I urge all countries to recognize the state of Palestine and bring an end to the illegal occupation of the West Bank and destruction of Gaza.
  • The people of Sudan, D.R. Congo, and Haiti have the right to self-determination and freedom from endless wars fueled by colonial resource extraction.
  • Covid still exists and harms many people. Protect everyone using masks and vaccines.
  • I support the universal right to housing. Unhoused people have the right to safety, no matter that the US Supreme Court says.
  • We must stand against all forms of racism and bigotry, including antiblackness, antisemitism, islamophobia, and xenophobia, both systemic and interpersonal.

Contact:

davidjekel@gmail.com, daj@math.ku.dk

Please do not use my UCSD or Fields emails accounts because they are no longer active.