Woman wins Abel Prize for maths

The Abel Prize in mathematics has been awarded to Karen Uhlenbeck of the United States for her work on partial differential equations, the first woman to win the award, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters said.

“Karen Uhlenbeck receives the Abel Prize 2019 for her fundamental work in geometric analysis and gauge theory, which has dramatically changed the mathematical landscape,” Abel Committee chair Hans Munthe-Kaas said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Her theories have revolutionised our understanding of minimal surfaces, such as those formed by soap bubbles, and more general minimisation problems in higher dimensions.”

Uhlenbeck, 76, is a visiting senior research scholar at Princeton University, and visiting associate at the Institute for Advanced Study.

The Cleveland native developed tools and methods in global analysis, which are now in the toolbox of every geometer and analyst, the academy said.

She is also a role model and a strong advocate for gender equality in science and maths.

She is the first woman to win the prize, which comes with 6m kroner (R10.16m).

Named after 19th-century Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, the prize was established by the Oslo government in 2002 and first awarded a year later, to honour outstanding scientific work in the field of mathematics, a discipline not included among the Nobel awards. –