Charles Fefferman (left), Princeton University, and Richard Schoen (right), University of California, Irivine, have been named the winners of the 2017 Wolf Prize in Mathematics for "their striking contributions to analysis and geometry." The two will share the US$100,000 prize. (Photos courtesy of Princeton University and the University of California, Irvine.)
The citation for Charles Fefferman notes that he has "made major contributions to several fields, including several complex variables, partial differential equations and subelliptic problems. He introduced new fundamental techniques into harmonic analysis and explored their application to a wide range of fields including fluid dynamics, spectral geometry and mathematical physics," and "He solved major problems related to the fine structure of solutions to partial differential equations." Fefferman received the Fields Medal in 1978, the Bergman Prize in 1982, and the B?cher Memorial Prize in 2008.
Richard Schoen was recognized as "a pioneer and a driving force in geometric analysis." The citation continues: "His work on the regularity of harmonic maps and minimal surfaces had a lasting impact on the field. His solution of the Yamabe problem is based on the discovery of a deep connection to general relativity. Through his work on geometric analysis Schoen has contributed greatly to our understanding of the interrelation between partial differential equations and differential geometry." Schoen received the B?cher Memorial Prize in 1989, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as a fellow of the AMS, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is is currently an AMS vice president.
The Wolf Prize, which was first given in 1978, is awarded by the Wolf Foundation. Winners will receive their awards from the President of Israel in a special ceremony at the Knesset Building in Jerusalem. See a list of this year's laureates.
* News from AMS (http://www.ams.org/news?news_id=3272)