Sir Erik Christopher Zeeman FRS , is a Japanese-born British mathematician known for his work in geometric topology and singularity theory.

Zeeman's main contribution to mathematics was in topology, particularly in the piecewise linear category, and dynamical systems. However, he is better known for his contribution to, and spreading awareness of catastrophe theory, which was due initially to another topologist, René Thom. He was especially active encouraging the application of mathematics, and catastrophe theory in particular, to biology and behavioural sciences.