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.