Shing-Tung Yau, Vladimir Drinfeld Awarded 2023 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences

Past Faculty Shing-Tung Yau (1980–84) and Vladimir Drinfeld, past Member (1990, 1996–97, 1998) and recent Visiting Professor (2019–20), both in the Institute’s School of Mathematics, have been awarded the 2023 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences for their contributions to the fields of mathematical physics, arithmetic geometry, differential geometry, and Kähler geometry.

Yau is noted for his development of systematically partial differential equation methods in differential geometry and his work on the existence of a Kähler–Einstein metric, which led to the solution to the Calabi conjecture. The Committee regards Yau’s work as having a “deep and lasting impact on both mathematics and theoretical physics.”

Drinfeld is noted by the Shaw Prize Foundation for his invention of the shtukas, which are expected to be a “key concept” in p-adic Hodge theory and the Langlands program. The Mathematical Sciences Selection Committee of the Shaw Prize Foundation lauds Drinfeld’s work as a “pillar of arithmetic geometry which is at the core of new developments in the field.”

They are both winners of the Fields Medal, Yau in 1982 and Drinfeld in 1990.

The Shaw Prize is an international award to honor individuals who have achieved distinguished and significant advances in their fields, who have made outstanding contributions in academic and scientific research or applications, or who in other domains have achieved excellence. Established in 2002 under the auspices of Mr. Run Run Shaw, it is managed by The Shaw Prize Foundation in Hong Kong.

Drinfeld and Yau join a group of 29 previous Shaw Laureates in Mathematical Sciences since the first Prize was awarded in 2004.