Jacob Goodman is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at NTNU. His research lies at the intersection of differential geometry, geometric mechanics, control theory, and numerical analysis, with a particular emphasis on the use of geometric methods in trajectory planning and mechanical control systems.

Main area of research

Differential geometry and geometric analysis, geometric mechanics and control, Riemannian geometry, optimal control, and geometric numerical integration.

Current research topics include geometric methods for motion planning and obstacle avoidance, modification and preconditioning of Riemannian metrics for control applications, variational problems on manifolds, higher-order Riemannian geometry, dynamics and control on Lie groups and homogeneous spaces, and structure-preserving numerical methods.

Goodman is currently working on the project Geometric and Numerical Analysis of Control Systems (GNACS), funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship. The project studies how geometric structures can be constructed or modified in order to simplify the analysis, control, and numerical simulation of dynamical systems.

Academic degrees

• PhD in Mathematics, Autonomous University of Madrid, 2023, Cum Laude. PhD research conducted at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT) under a La Caixa INPhINIT Fellowship, supervised by Leonardo Colombo and Manuel de León. Thesis: Path Planning on Riemannian Manifolds with Applications to Quadrotor Load Transportation.
• BS in Mathematics and Physics, University of Michigan, 2018.

• 2025–present: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow / Researcher, Department of Mathematical Sciences, NTNU.
• 2023–2025: Professor, Applied Mathematics and Physics programmes, Antonio de Nebrija University, Madrid. Teaching and research position, including course development and science-communication activities.
• 2019–2023: Doctoral researcher, Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT) / Autonomous University of Madrid, supported by a La Caixa INPhINIT Fellowship.

Selected fellowships and awards

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2025–2027
• Erasmus+ Scholarship, 2024
• PhD Cum Laude, 2023
• La Caixa Doctoral INPhINIT Fellowship, 2019–2022
• Severo Ochoa Intro Fellowship, 2018