Benedict Gross

Benedict Gross
Benedict Gross
	Gross in Montrouge, France, c. 1977–79
Dean of Harvard College
	In office; July 1, 2003 – August 31, 2007
Preceded by	Harry R. Lewis
Succeeded by	David Pilbeam (acting); Evelynn M. Hammonds;
Personal details
Born	Benedict Hyman Gross; June 22, 1950; South Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	December 19, 2025 (aged 75); San Diego, California, U.S.
Spouse	Jill P. Mesirov (m. 1982)
Children	2
Relatives	Avrum Gross (brother); Al Gross (nephew);
Education	Harvard University (BA, PhD); University of Oxford (M.Sc.);
Scientific career
Alma mater	Harvard University; Oxford University;
Known for	Gross–Zagier theorem; Gan–Gross–Prasad conjecture;
Awards	List of awards MacArthur Fellowship (1986) ; Cole Prize (1987) ; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1992) ; Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2004) ; Member of the American Philosophical Society (2017) ;
Fields	Mathematics
Institutions	Harvard University; UC San Diego;
Thesis	Arithmetic on Elliptic Curves with Complex Multiplication (1978)
Doctoral advisor	John Tate
Doctoral students	List of students Henri Darmon ; Noam Elkies ; Jessica Fintzen ; Susan Goldstine ; Rhonda Hatcher ; Dipendra Prasad ; Wee Teck Gan ; Douglas Ulmer ;

Benedict Hyman Gross (June 22, 1950 – December 19, 2025) was an American mathematician who was a professor at the University of California, San Diego, the George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Mathematics Emeritus at Harvard University, and Dean of Harvard College.

Gross is known for his work in number theory, particularly the Gross–Zagier theorem on L-functions of elliptic curves, and related topics in algebraic geometry, automorphic forms, and representation theory. He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1986 and a Cole Prize in 1987. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the American Philosophical Society, and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.