By the age of 7, many people are still trying to grasp the
concept of adding apples and oranges. At the same age, Terence Tao
was busy manipulating digits in math class to earn a high school
diploma.
Tao, the first UCLA professor to receive a Fields Medal award in
mathematics, was awarded the 48th international title, and he is
only 31.
Often compared to the Nobel prize, the award is given every four
years to one distinguished mathematician who has significantly
contributed to the field.
Tony Chan, the dean of the UCLA mathematics department, said Tao
has been “known as a child prodigy in math since he was
young,” but added that his achievements are still
extraordinary since “many child prodigies do not turn out to
be top research scientists (like Tao).”
And while some college students are beginning to understand
differential equations and applied mathematics, Tao had already
mastered these subjects and received his Ph.D. 11 years ago ““
when he was only 20 years old.
It isn’t too difficult to add up Tao’s
accomplishments, but keeping a tab of his involvements in various
projects may cause someone to lose count.
Tao has extensive background in harmonic analysis, geometric
combinatorics, arithmetic combinatorics, analytic number theory and
algebraic combinatorics.
In other words, he does research in disciplines of math that
require intense analysis of mathematical theories and studying the
motion of waves.
In addition, Tao has written four monographs and textbooks just
in the last year alone. He also teaches several upper-division math
courses.
As for calculating Tao’s ambition and dedication, it can
be summed up by a simple incident that colleague John Garnett
recalls.
Tao and a research partner actually began their project on
signal processing while waiting around to pick up their children
from the UCLA day care, Garnett said.
This passion for math is clear from Tao’s desire to crunch
numbers even between family and other life responsibilities.
“In addition, he is very modest, and he loves to teach.
The world of mathematicians is in awe of his achievements, and
indeed many departments are envious that we are able to keep him at
UCLA,” Chan said.
And while the spotlight may be on Tao, Chan has also said
“the math department is certainly on the rise in terms of
external recognition. Just at the International Congress of
Mathematicians (currently taking place in Madrid), (UCLA) has
invited five speakers, which puts our department among the top five
departments in the world to this measure.”
“Stan Osher, a faculty member, was elected to the National
Academy of Sciences last year, and Lennart Carleson, a professor
emeritus, received the Abel Prize this year. There are many
others,” Chan added.
The trend for this sort of recognition has no particular
equation, but it is obvious that the formula consists of some of
the same qualities that both Chan and Garnett find in Tao.
Some of those same qualities include talent, discipline, and a
lack of pretense.
Tao has “technical prowess, (the) power of grand vision
and synthesis, and just plain superb creativity,” Chan
added.