World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
William P. Thurston

William P. Thurston

D-Index & Metrics

Mathematics

D-Index
54
Citations
26228
World Ranking
807
National Ranking
392

William P. Thurston publication distribution in Mathematics in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Mathematics in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where William P. Thurston sits on this spectrum.

42–46 publications: 3 scientists 47–51 publications: 5 scientists 52–56 publications: 7 scientists 57–61 publications: 20 scientists 62–66 publications: 14 scientists 67–71 publications: 25 scientists 72–76 publications: 19 scientists 77–81 publications: 35 scientists 82–86 publications: 50 scientists 87–91 publications: 60 scientists 92–96 publications: 86 scientists 97–101 publications: 84 scientists 102–106 publications: 83 scientists 107–111 publications: 90 scientists 112–116 publications: 99 scientists 117–121 publications: 90 scientists 122–126 publications: 91 scientists 127–131 publications: 109 scientists 132–136 publications: 110 scientists 137–141 publications: 98 scientists 142–146 publications: 112 scientists 147–151 publications: 102 scientists 152–156 publications: 88 scientists 157–161 publications: 106 scientists 162–166 publications: 83 scientists 167–171 publications: 102 scientists 172–176 publications: 77 scientists 177–181 publications: 81 scientists 182–186 publications: 78 scientists 187–191 publications: 71 scientists 192–196 publications: 92 scientists 197–201 publications: 64 scientists 202–206 publications: 69 scientists 207–211 publications: 64 scientists 212–216 publications: 62 scientists 217–221 publications: 58 scientists 222–226 publications: 53 scientists 227–231 publications: 50 scientists 232–236 publications: 46 scientists 237–241 publications: 46 scientists 242–246 publications: 46 scientists 247–251 publications: 43 scientists 252–256 publications: 29 scientists 257–261 publications: 45 scientists 262–266 publications: 30 scientists 267–271 publications: 33 scientists 272–276 publications: 34 scientists 277–281 publications: 30 scientists 282–286 publications: 31 scientists 287–291 publications: 21 scientists 292–296 publications: 34 scientists 297–301 publications: 26 scientists 302–306 publications: 10 scientists 307–311 publications: 17 scientists 312–316 publications: 23 scientists 317–321 publications: 13 scientists 322–326 publications: 16 scientists 327–331 publications: 26 scientists 332–336 publications: 13 scientists 337–341 publications: 13 scientists 342–346 publications: 16 scientists 347–351 publications: 17 scientists 352–356 publications: 12 scientists 357–361 publications: 18 scientists 362–366 publications: 18 scientists 367–371 publications: 9 scientists 372–376 publications: 11 scientists 377–381 publications: 8 scientists 382–386 publications: 8 scientists 387–391 publications: 9 scientists 392–396 publications: 9 scientists 397–401 publications: 8 scientists 402–406 publications: 11 scientists 407–411 publications: 6 scientists 412–416 publications: 6 scientists 417–421 publications: 9 scientists 422–426 publications: 8 scientists 427–431 publications: 5 scientists 432–436 publications: 8 scientists 437–441 publications: 8 scientists 442–446 publications: 4 scientists 447–451 publications: 4 scientists 452–456 publications: 4 scientists 457–461 publications: 2 scientists 462–466 publications: 2 scientists 467–471 publications: 4 scientists 472–476 publications: 3 scientists 477–481 publications: 3 scientists 482–486 publications: 6 scientists 487–491 publications: 3 scientists 492–496 publications: 5 scientists 497–501 publications: 5 scientists 502–506 publications: 1 scientists 507–511 publications: 6 scientists 512–516 publications: 4 scientists 517–521 publications: 1 scientists 522–526 publications: 3 scientists 527–531 publications: 1 scientists 532–536 publications: 4 scientists 537+ publications: 100 scientists
42 publications 537+

This scientist: 78 publications — 3rd percentile

3% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 537 publications or more.

William P. Thurston D-index placement in Mathematics in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Mathematics scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where William P. Thurston sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index: 174 scientists 31 D-Index: 151 scientists 32 D-Index: 174 scientists 33 D-Index: 117 scientists 34 D-Index: 136 scientists 35 D-Index: 127 scientists 36 D-Index: 145 scientists 37 D-Index: 153 scientists 38 D-Index: 150 scientists 39 D-Index: 150 scientists 40 D-Index: 138 scientists 41 D-Index: 136 scientists 42 D-Index: 93 scientists 43 D-Index: 108 scientists 44 D-Index: 115 scientists 45 D-Index: 112 scientists 46 D-Index: 103 scientists 47 D-Index: 75 scientists 48 D-Index: 59 scientists 49 D-Index: 67 scientists 50 D-Index: 60 scientists 51 D-Index: 57 scientists 52 D-Index: 59 scientists 53 D-Index: 62 scientists 54 D-Index: 60 scientists 55 D-Index: 50 scientists 56 D-Index: 42 scientists 57 D-Index: 54 scientists 58 D-Index: 50 scientists 59 D-Index: 42 scientists 60 D-Index: 41 scientists 61 D-Index: 35 scientists 62 D-Index: 40 scientists 63 D-Index: 21 scientists 64 D-Index: 31 scientists 65 D-Index: 27 scientists 66 D-Index: 29 scientists 67 D-Index: 19 scientists 68 D-Index: 25 scientists 69 D-Index: 17 scientists 70 D-Index: 18 scientists 71 D-Index: 12 scientists 72 D-Index: 14 scientists 73 D-Index: 13 scientists 74 D-Index: 18 scientists 75 D-Index: 9 scientists 76 D-Index: 11 scientists 77 D-Index: 10 scientists 78 D-Index: 9 scientists 79 D-Index: 16 scientists 80 D-Index: 12 scientists 81 D-Index: 10 scientists 82 D-Index: 5 scientists 83 D-Index: 5 scientists 84 D-Index: 13 scientists 85 D-Index: 6 scientists 86+ D-Index: 99 scientists
30 D-Index 86+

This scientist: 54 D-Index — 78th percentile

78% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 86 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2012 - Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research
  • 1983 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1982 - Fields Medal of International Mathematical Union (IMU) Revolutionized study of topology in 2 and 3 dimensions, showing interplay between analysis, topology, and geometry. Contributed idea that a very large class of closed 3-manifolds carry a hyperbolic structure.
  • 1974 - Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Overview

William P. Thurston was affiliated with Cornell University in the United States. Their research primarily focused on Agricultural and Biological Sciences, with a particular emphasis on Plant Science, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Ecology, Genetics, and Atmospheric Science.

The scientist's main research topics spanned Avian ecology and behavior, Plant Pathogens and Resistance, Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior, Plant and animal studies, Vector-Borne Animal Diseases, Viral Infections and Vectors, and Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology.

They contributed to multiple publications in various scientific journals over recent years. Notable papers include:

  • Origin of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 8 Outbreak in Cyprus, September 2016 (2020, Viruses)
  • Foraging Behaviours of Breeding Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea and the Impact of Local Weather and Fisheries (2022, Frontiers in Marine Science)
  • Irrigation can create new green bridges that promote rapid intercontinental spread of the wheat stem rust pathogen (2022, Environmental Research Letters)
  • Global warming and arctic terns: Estimating climate change impacts on the world's longest migration (2023, Global Change Biology)
  • A framework for modelling desert locust population dynamics and large-scale dispersal (2024, PLoS Computational Biology)

The venues where William P. Thurston had frequent publications included Viruses, Environmental Research Letters, Global Change Biology, PLoS Computational Biology, and Frontiers in Marine Science.

Their research collaborations involved several coauthors who frequently contributed to their work. Key collaborators were:

  • Christopher A. Gilligan
  • Renata Retkutė
  • David Hodson
  • Jacob W. Smith
  • Joanne M. Morten

William P. Thurston received several awards during their career. These included the Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research in 2012, election as a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1983, and the Fields Medal from the International Mathematical Union in 1982. The Fields Medal recognized their work in revolutionizing the study of topology in two and three dimensions, highlighting the interplay between analysis, topology, and geometry, as well as the idea that a large class of closed 3-manifolds carry a hyperbolic structure. Early in their career, they were also a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 1974.

Best Publications

  • Three-Dimensional Geometry and Topology

    William P. Thurston;Silvio Levy

  • The geometry and topology of 3-manifolds

    William P. Thurston

  • Three dimensional manifolds, Kleinian groups and hyperbolic geometry

    William P. Thurston

  • Three-Dimensional Geometry and Topology, Volume 1: Volume 1

    Unknown

  • Word processing in groups

    David B. A. Epstein;M. S. Paterson;J. W. Cannon;D. F. Holt

  • On the geometry and dynamics of diffeomorphisms of surfaces

    William P. Thurston

  • The geometry and topology of three-manifolds

    William P. Thurston

  • On iterated maps of the interval

    John Milnor;William Thurston

  • A norm for the homology of 3-manifolds

    W. P. Thurston

  • On Proof and Progress in Mathematics.

    William P. Thurston

  • Some simple examples of symplectic manifolds

    W. P. Thurston

  • Rotation distance, triangulations, and hyperbolic geometry

    Daniel D. Sleator;Daniel D. Sleator;Daniel D. Sleator;Robert Endre Tarjan;William P. Thurston;William P. Thurston;William P. Thurston

  • Incompressible surfaces in 2-bridge knot complements

    A. Hatcher;W. Thurston

  • A presentation for the mapping class group of a closed orientable surface

    A. Hatcher;W. Thurston

  • Hyperbolic Structures on 3-manifolds, II: Surface groups and 3-manifolds which fiber over the circle

    William P. Thurston

  • Conway's tiling groups

    William P. Thurston

  • Hyperbolic structures on 3-manifolds I: Deformation of acylindrical manifolds

    William P. Thurston

  • On the existence of contact forms

    W. P. Thurston;H. E. Winkelnkemper

  • Minimal stretch maps between hyperbolic surfaces

    William P. Thurston

  • Shapes of polyhedra and triangulations of the sphere

    William P. Thurston

  • Separators for sphere-packings and nearest neighbor graphs

    Gary L. Miller;Shang-Hua Teng;William Thurston;Stephen A. Vavasis

  • Pinching constants for hyperbolic manifolds

    M. Gromov;W. Thurston

Frequent Co-Authors

Gary L. Miller
Gary L. Miller Carnegie Mellon University
Daniel D. Sleator
Daniel D. Sleator Carnegie Mellon University
Stephen A. Vavasis
Stephen A. Vavasis University of Waterloo
Shang-Hua Teng
Shang-Hua Teng University of Southern California
Robert E. Tarjan
Robert E. Tarjan Princeton University
Jack Snoeyink
Jack Snoeyink University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
John H. Conway
John H. Conway Princeton University
Jeffrey C. Lagarias
Jeffrey C. Lagarias University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Allen Hatcher
Allen Hatcher Cornell University
Daniel H. Huson
Daniel H. Huson University of Tübingen

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