Mercer Times

Professor Peter Sarnak, Princeton's Eugene Higgins Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and the Gopal Prasad Professor of Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), has been named the sole winner of the 2024 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences. Of the 32 laureates in the history of the Shaw Prize, only 10 have won the prize individually; others have shared it.

The Shaw Prize citation highlights Sarnak's "development of the arithmetic theory of thin groups and the affine sieve, by bringing together number theory, analysis, combinatorics, dynamics, geometry and spectral theory."

"Peter Sarnak is a remarkable mathematician and mentor whose thinking, contributions and intuition shaped, advanced and connected (and continue doing so) many, sometimes seemingly disparate, areas of mathematics," said Igor Rodnianski, chair of Princeton's Department of Mathematics. "His impact on modern mathematics and on multiple generations of mathematicians, the latter through mentorship, inspiration and encouragement, sometimes in the form of conjectures and even letters, cannot be overstated."

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sarnak received his bachelor's degree from the University of Witwatersrand in 1974 and his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1980. He held fellowships and junior faculty positions at several universities before joining Princeton in 1991. He became a member of IAS in 1999 and joined their faculty in 2007; he continues to serve as a professor at both institutions.

Among his many honors, Sarnak is an honorary member of several prestigious societies including the London Mathematical Society and the Royal Society of South Africa. He is also a foreign member of Academia Europea, a fellow of both the American Mathematical Society and the Royal Society (U.K.), as well as a member of both the National Academy of Sciences (U.S.) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His awards include the Sylvester Medal from the Royal Society and the Wolf Prize in Mathematics. Additionally, he has received honorary doctorates from institutions such as Kings College London (2017), University of St. Andrews (2016), University of Chicago (2015), Shandong University in China (2014), University of Witwatersrand (2014), and Hebrew University in Jerusalem (2010).

The Shaw Prize was established by media mogul Run Run Shaw in 2002. It carries a monetary award of $1.2 million along with a gold medal and certificate. According to its website, "the Shaw Prize Foundation remains dedicated to promoting excellence and innovation" with aspirations to inspire those aiming to make positive societal impacts.

Other Princeton faculty who have received this honor include Noga Alon (2022), János Kollár (2017), Bonnie Bassler (2015), Lyman Page (2010), David Spergel (2010), and P. James Peebles (2004).