Mathematician Taylor wins Shaw Prize

Herchel Smith Professor of Mathematics Richard Taylor has been awarded the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences for work that unified the diverse fields of prime numbers and symmetry.

Taylor shares the prize with Princeton Professor Robert Langlands, who initiated work in the field that was subsequently built upon by Taylor.

The honor is awarded by the Hong Kong-based Shaw Prize Foundation. The Shaw Prizes are given in three fields: astronomy, life sciences and medicine, and mathematical sciences. They are intended to recognize individuals currently active in their fields who have achieved “distinguished and significant advances, who have made outstanding contributions in culture and the arts, or who in other domains have achieved excellence,” according to the prize’s Web site.