Sergei Gukov is a professor of mathematics and theoretical physics. Gukov graduated from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) in Moscow, Russia before obtaining a doctorate in physics from Princeton University under the supervision of Edward Witten.

Edward Witten is an American theoretical physicist known for his contributions to String theory, Topological quantum field theory, and various areas of mathematics. He is a professor emeritus in the school of natural sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Witten is a researcher in string theory, quantum gravity, supersymmetric quantum field theories, and other areas of mathematical physics. Witten's work has also significantly impacted pure mathematics. In 1990, he became the first physicist to be awarded a Fields Medal by the International Mathematical Union, for his mathematical insights in physics, such as his 1981 proof of the positive energy theorem in general relativity, and his interpretation of the Jones invariants of knots as Feynman integrals. He is considered the practical founder of M-theory.