Mathematician Maxim Kontsevich Wins Crafoord Prize 2008

January 30, 2008

This year's $500,000 Crafoord Prize, from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, honors laureates for "mathematical discoveries that are significant for the fundamental laws of nature and for research on black holes and the early Universe."

Mathematician Maxim Kontsevich (Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques) shares $250,000 with theoretical physicist Edward Witten (Institute for Advanced Study). The astronomical half of the prize goes to Rashid Alievich Sunyaev (Space Research Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics) for his work on black holes and neutron stars and on the structure of the cosmic background radiation.

Kontsevich and Witten, said the Academy, "have used the methodology of physics to develop a revolutionary new mathematics intended for the study of various types of geometrical objects. Their work is not only of great interest in the discipline of mathematics but may also find applications in totally different areas. Its results are of considerable value for physics and research into the fundamental laws of nature." The laureates, said the Academy, "have resolved several important mathematical problems related to string theory and have in this way paved the way for its further development."

Witten, a leading figure in the development of string theory and in the effort to unify the fundamental forces of nature, devised mathematical techniques to carry out calculations in the many dimensions required by the theory. Kontsevich went on to show that Witten's techniques, which were inspired by physics, function widely in mathematics.

Witten was "totally startled," he said, to find that it was his achievements in mathematics that had won attention rather than his work in physics. "I'm extremely honored that my work was recognized in this way," he said. Kontsevich noted that there has been "very fruitful interaction between maths and physics that has changed our subject over the past 15 years."

First awarded in 1982, the Crafoord Prize was instituted by Anna-Greta and Holger Crafoord to recognize achievements in fields not covered by Nobel prizes: astronomy, mathematics, geosciences, and biosciences. The Royal Swedish Academy administers the award and presents it to a different field each year.

This year's award is described at: feed.ne.cision.com/wpyfs/00/00/00/00/00/0B/6E/61/wkr0009.pdf

Source: ScienceNOW Daily News (17 January 2008)