For the first time ever, a woman has been awarded the Abel Prize – one of the world’s most prestigious international mathematics awards.
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters announced that Karen Uhlenbeck of the University of Texas at Austin was this year’s winner for her achievements in math and physics.
According to the jury who selected Karen Uhlenbeck for the designation, of particular note is the mathematician’s ‘fundamental work in geometric analysis and gauge theory, which has dramatically changed the mathematical landscape.’
The prize, which comes with a more than $700,000 award, is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel and is considered among global mathematicians to be the Nobel Prize of the field.
‘For more than three decades at The University of Texas, Karen Uhlenbeck conducted research that revolutionized geometric analysis and mathematics as a whole’ said UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves.
‘She was an inspiring teacher and dedicated mentor to thousands of UT students, motivating them to reach great heights in their academic and professional lives…’
Uhlenbeck is no stranger to accolades, having been the recipient of similar awards throughout her career.
In 1983, Uhlenbeck was chosen to be a MacArthur Fellow – known commonly as the genius award – and was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2000.
Uhlenbeck has been called one of the most influential mathematicians throughout the last several decades.
One of her most notable pieces of research concerns ‘minimal surfaces,’ which are surfaces that have equal pressure on each side with a curvature of zero.
The study is known simply as the ‘soap bubble theory.’
Her work has also touched the field of quantum physics, covering topics like gauge theory and topological quantum field theory.
Often, Uhlenbeck’s career acted as a bridge between the world of physics and mathematics.
Among Uhlenbeck’s most influential and lasting works has to do with the study of soap film in an analysis of ‘minimal surfaces’ — a surface with equal pressure on each side and a curvature of zero.
‘Her pioneering insights have applications across a range of fascinating subjects, from string theory, which may help explain the nature of reality, to the geometry of space-time,’ said Paul Goldbart, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and a professor of physics at UT Austin.
Throughout her career, Uhlenbeck has also been an advocate for bringing more women into her field, founding the Women and Mathematics Program at the Institute for Advanced Study for Princeton as well as the Distinguished Women in Mathematics Lecture Series at UT Austin.
‘She was an inspiring teacher and dedicated mentor to thousands of UT students, motivating them to reach great heights in their academic and professional lives…’
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