Stefanos Aretakis Credit: Alexandros Vlaxos AMNA
Among the most distinguished Greek mathematicians of his generation, Stefanos Aretakis has earned global recognition for his groundbreaking contributions to physics. His most notable discovery is the identification of a new instability in extreme black holes—now known as the “Aretakis instability”—which has opened new frontiers in the study of mathematical relativity and continues to be a subject of major scientific investigation.
Currently an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Aretakis focuses on the rigorous mathematical analysis of black hole dynamics, bridging the gap between pure mathematics and fundamental questions in theoretical physics.
From challenges early on to academic excellence
Aretakis’ path to success was not without challenges. In an interview, he recalled his difficult school years: “In middle school, I just wanted to be invisible. Some teachers even bullied me because I only cared about mathematics.” Even his math teacher once scolded him for solving problems too quickly during exams, telling him that handing in papers early was “insulting to classmates.”
By high school, he found more freedom to pursue his passion. At the age of eighteen, he applied to seven prestigious US universities and was rejected by all of them—a setback he now considers formative. “It was not just my successes but my failures that guided me to academia,” he said.
Stefanos Aretakis’ academic journey
Born in Pangrati, Athens, Aretakis moved to Patras at the age of twelve, graduating from Kastritsi High School. He completed his undergraduate degree in mathematics at the University of Patras in under two years, graduating with perfect grades.
He pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Cambridge and completed his master’s degree in Theoretical Mathematics (2006–2007). Aretakis later earned his PhD in 2012 under the supervision of renowned mathematician Mihalis Dafermos. His doctoral work was supported by a Bodossaki Foundation scholarship.
Upon obtaining his doctorate, Aretakis held the Veblen Research Instructorship at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study. In 2016, he became an assistant professor at Princeton before moving to the University of Toronto in 2017, where he remains to this day.
International recognition
Aretakis has received numerous awards and honors. He is a recipient of the Sloan Research Fellowship, grants from the US National Science Foundation, and Canada’s NSERC. He has also been recognized as one of Ontario’s top young scientists. In Greece, he has been awarded the Papastratos Prize in Geometry by the Academy of Athens in 2016.
With his pioneering work, Stefanos Aretakis has not only advanced the field of black hole physics but also become a symbol of how resilience, passion, and persistence can transform setbacks into major scientific achievements.