"Duality and Unification" will be the topic for mathematical physicist Edward Witten of Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies when he delivers a special Gemant Lecture on Monday, Sept. 1, at 3:30 p.m. in Schwartz Auditorium, Rockefeller Hall.

Witten is widely regarded as the leader in reviving the symbiosis between physics and mathematics. When modern science was born in the 17th century, physics and mathematics were one indivisible enterprise. But they slowly grew apart and by the middle of this century, research in these fields had little in common.

Witten's work on string theory has not only inspired a young generation of theoretical physicists, but also led to new research in pure mathematics. He is the first and only physicist to be awarded the Field Medal, the mathematical equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

This lecture is part of the Gemant Lecture series. The 1995 Andrew Gemant Award was given to Robert R. Wilson, Cornell professor emeritus of physics, by the American Institute of Physics, for his outstanding work linking physics to the arts and humanities. Part of the award includes provision for a series of lectures of interest to a broad scientific audience.