The Abel Prize in Mathematics was crowned on Wednesday by Argentinian-American Luis Caffarelli, a specialist in “partial differential equations” which make it possible to describe phenomena as different as the flow of water or the growth of populations. He becomes the first South American to be on the list of the prestigious Norwegian prize, awarded since 2003.
Professor at the University of Texas, Luis Caffarelli, 74, is rewarded for his “flagship contributions to the theory of regularity for nonlinear partial differential equations”, announced the Norwegian Academy of Sciences.
“A Life’s Work”
This type of equation models how multiple variables change relative to each other and is used in multiple fields, from engineering and physics to economics and biology. Their study dates back to the 17th century and they are widely used to describe certain physical behaviors, such as fluid mechanics for example.
“It is an honor to receive this distinction, which shines the spotlight on the work of a lifetime”, reacted the winner to the Norwegian agency NTB, saying he was “surprised” and “happy”.
The academy particularly praised the laureate’s contributions, over more than 40 years, to the theory of regularity. “By combining brilliant geometric vision with ingenious analytical tools and methods, he had and continues to have a very significant impact on the ground,” argued Abel Committee Chairman Helge Holden.
Luis Caffarelli succeeds American Dennis Parnell Sullivan, who won the Abel Prize last year for his work in topology and chaos theory. Named following the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802-1829) and endowed with 7.5 million crowns (662,000 euros), the prize will be formally awarded in Oslo on May 23.
