Wednesday March 25th 2015
The Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters will award the 2015 Abel Prize to John F. Nash Jr. (left), Princeton University, and Louis Nirenberg (right), Courant Institute, New York University, “for striking and seminal contributions to the theory of nonlinear partial differential equations and its applications to geometric analysis.”
Although Nash and Nirenberg did not formally collaborate on any papers, they influenced each other greatly. The Abel committee writes: “Their breakthroughs have developed into versatile and robust techniques that have become essential tools for the study of nonlinear partial differential equations. Their impact can be felt in all branches of the theory.” Read more about the laureates and their work.
“On behalf of the American Mathematical Society, it is a great pleasure to congratulate John F. Nash, Jr. and Louis Nirenberg, recipients of the 2015 Abel Prize. Dr. Nash’s work in extending our understanding of game theory, partial differential equations, and analytic geometry has been an inspiration to mathematicians and economists everywhere, and Professor Nirenberg’s unparallelled leadership in analysis has revolutionized our understanding of the power of analytical methods. Their foundational works continue to profoundly influence research in mathematics and economics, to the lasting benefit of us all,” writes Robert Bryant, AMS President.
Nash has received the Nobel Prize in Economics (1994), the John von Neumann Theory Prize (1978) and the AMS Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research (1999). Nirenberg has received the AMS Bôcher Memorial Prize (1959), the inaugural Crafoord Prize (1982), the AMS Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement(1994), the first Chern Medal for lifetime achievement (2010), and–along with Luis A. Caffarelli and Robert Kohn—the AMS Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research (2014).
