The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters formally awarded this year’s Abel Prize in mathematics on Tuesday to Gerd Faltings of the Max Planck Institute in Bonn, Germany. Faltings won the prize “for introducing powerful tools in arithmetic geometry” and solving historical mathematical riddles.
The Abel Prize, often likened to a Nobel Prize in mathematics, was formally handed over by Crown Prince Haakon during the prize ceremony at the University of Oslo’s Aula, known for its murals painted by Edvard Munch. Faltings was described as “a towering figure in arithmetic geometry” who settled “major long-standing conjectures” and established “new frameworks that have guided decades of subsequent work.”
For more on Faltings and his work, click here (external link to the acadamy’s website).
The Abel Prize, named after the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, is funded by the Norwegian Government and carries with it an award of NOK 7.5 million. The winner is based on the recommendation of the Abel Prize committee, composed of five internationally recognized mathematicians.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
