Grigori Perelman, Declines Fields Medal Options

[NATURE]

Abel Prize, First Indian Winner


Congrats !!! great news for everyone out here.
Prof. Srinivasa S R Varadhan, currently teaches at New York University's Courant Institute of
Mathematical Sciences, has been awarded the prestigious Abel Prize for the year 2007 for his
contribution to mathematics. He is an alumni of ISI, Calcutta, a pretigious Institute in the fields
of Mathematics and Statistics.
"for his fundamental contributions to probability theory and in particular for creating
a unified theory of large deviation".

He says:

"You know they don't tell you in advance that you're even in the running or a candidate for it.
So they call at 6 AM from Europe and wake you up and tell you that you've received this award."

"I come from south India, and Ramanujan's name is extremely well known there. Even in high school our
teachers talked about him, as somebody from a different generation of course, but who reached exalted
heights. He was a role model for me."

"Most of bright students are attracted towards IITs and technological institutions because that's the career
path their parents want and that's the career path they think they want. And so a whole top level is lost already
for pure math and basic sciences."

The prize money amounts to $8,50,000.

The Abel Prize is awarded annually by the King of Norway to outstanding mathematicians. In 2001 the
government of Norway announced that the bicentennial of Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel's
birth (which was 1802) would mark the commencement of a new prize for mathematicians, named after
Abel.

His picture


Here is his interview on CNNIBN:

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/sci-tech/03_20...rize-37047.html

Courtesy: CNNIBN, WIKIPEDIA