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 Award for mathematician Prof Seshadri
Prof C S Seshadri, director, Chennai Mathematical Institute, has been awarded the Trieste Science Award for Mathematics for 2006 in recognition of his pioneering work in the field of Algebraic Geometry.
Prof. Seshadri is the first Indian mathematician to receive this award, which is jointly shared with Prof J Palis of Brazil. The award consists of a cash prize of $ 50,000 and a plaque with a citation highlighting the recipients’ major contributions.
The award will be presented at a special ceremony at the tenth General Conference of the Academy for the Developing World in Brazil in September 2006.
Governed by the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, Italy (earlier known as the Third World Academy of Sciences, TWAS) and funded by Illy Caffe, an Italian Coffee Chain, this coveted award recognises outstanding scientific achievements made by researchers living and working in developing countries.
A panel of internationally renowned scientists, headed by the president of TWAS, decides the winner after careful deliberation. This is the first time that the award has been given in the area of mathematics.
"Mathematics is one of the great creations of the human mind. It is the basic language for all exact sciences. A significant feature in recent times is the use of high-level mathematics in engineering sciences, computer science, economics, finance, biology and medicine. Modern society requires a substantial number of persons with advanced mathematical skills for the pursuit of pure sciences and in many activities touching daily life. The Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) is an institution of excellence devoted to research as well as teaching in mathematical sciences, where front-ranking researchers involve themselves in training the younger generation of students at the formative stages of their studies," said Prof Seshadri.
"I am delighted to receive the prestigious Trieste Science Award. I take this not just as a recognition of my work but as a tribute to CMI," he added.
Prof Seshadri is a leading figure in such cutting-edge topics as the theory of vector bundles and quotient and compact homogenous spaces. He is recognised as the creator of the Standard Monomial Theory and Seshadri Constant, which have found important applications both in mathematics and physics.
As founder, he was instrumental in ensuring that the CMI lends a platform for research in India. Under his leadership, CMI has become one of the best-known institutes amongst the research community in India. He has held visiting positions in many universities abroad, including Harvard and Princeton. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, UK, and is the recipient of many scientific awards. He has been recently appointed a National Research Professor by the Government of India.
Chennai Mathematical Institute (www.cmi.ac.in) was founded in 1989 as a part of the SPIC Science Foundation, funded by the SPIC Group in Chennai. It is a centre of excellence for teaching and research in mathematical sciences. Since 1996, it has been an autonomous institution.
The main areas of research at CMI are mathematics and computer science. In addition to a vibrant Ph.D. programme that is affiliated to both Madras University and BITS, Pilani, the institute conducts B.Sc. programmes in mathematics and physics and M.Sc. programmes in mathematics and computer science in conjunction with the Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University.
A governing council, consisting of eminent persons, manages CMI. It receives substantial funding both from private sources as well as the Government of India and is an example of a well-functioning institution with public-private participation that is rather unique in higher education.
R Rangaraj
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