IAS Scholars Win IMU Awards 2022 for Mathematical Achievement, including Fields Medal
Past and current scholars in the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences have won four of the prestigious prizes granted by the International Mathematical Union (IMU), including the 2022 Fields, Abacus, and Chern Medals, and the Gauss Prize. They represent some of the most esteemed distinctions in mathematics and computer science and are awarded every four years.
The Fields Medal, given to four mathematicians under the age of forty, was awarded to past Veblen Scholar (2014–17) and Visiting Professor (2017–20) June Huh and past Member (2017) James Maynard. Huh was cited for his many proofs and for bringing the ideas of Hodge theory to combinatorics. Maynard was noted for the major advances brought about by his research in analytic number theory. Since its establishment in 1936, forty-four IAS scholars have won the prestigious medal.
The Abacus Medal was awarded to past von Neumann Fellow (2016–17) Mark Braverman. He won the prize for his “path-breaking research developing the theory of information complexity.” During his time at IAS, Braverman explored connections between information theory and optimization, and between mechanism design and algorithms.
The Chern Medal was awarded to past Member (1958–59, 1983) and Visitor (1962) Barry C. Mazur. The prize was given to Mazur not only for his work in topology and number theory, but also for the leadership and generosity he has shown to future generations of mathematicians.
The Gauss Prize was awarded to past Member Elliott H. Lieb (1982, 1989), whose work has shown exceptional breadth outside of mathematics. He was cited for contributions to the fields of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, computational chemistry, and quantum information theory. At IAS, Lieb’s research interests include mathematical physics and mathematical analysis, especially functional analysis.
The IMU aims to promote international cooperation in mathematics, and encourage activities which contribute to mathematical science in any of its aspects: pure, applied, or educational. The union will celebrate the winners during the virtual International Congress of Mathematicians, July 6–14, 2022.
