Michel Talagrand awarded the 2024 Abel Prize
CNRS Mathematics (Insmi) extends its warmest congratulations to Michel Talagrand, winner of the 2024 Abel Prize and former CNRS Research Director at the Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu - Paris Rive Gauche (UMR7586 - CNRS, Sorbonne University, Université Paris Cité).
Awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, the Abel Prize is one of the two most prestigious awards in mathematics, alongside the Fields Medal.
The Abel Prize will be presented to Michel Talagrand by King Harald V of Norway on May 21, 2024.
Revolutionary contributions…
"Mr. Talagrand is an outstanding and highly productive mathematician whose work has transformed probability theory, functional analysis and statistics. He has had a considerable impact on mathematics and its applications", said Lise Øvreås, President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
A member of the French Academy of Sciences, Michel Talagrand was CNRS Research Director at the Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu - Paris Rive Gauche 1 . He has been honored "for his revolutionary contributions to probability theory and functional analysis, with remarkable applications in mathematical physics and statistics".
A student of Gustave Choquet, his scientific contributions cover topics ranging from measurement theory and functional analysis to probability theory and statistical physics. He proved several important conjectures, such as Fernique's conjecture on the regularity of Gaussian processes, the three-space problem for L1, Parisi's formula in spin glass theory, and Maharam's problem in measurement theory. With his original and innovative ideas and methods, Michel Talagrand has left his mark on several fields of mathematics with results and contributions of the highest order.
…at the heart of today's issues
The common theme in Michel Talagrand's groundbreaking discoveries is working with and understanding the random processes we see all around us. The modern world is a constant flow of random events. Understanding this randomness has impacts for everything: from business logistics to condensed matter physics, as well as from weather forecasting to our great linguistic models.
The Abel committee believes that "Mr. Talagrand's mathematical style is atypical. Solving a given problem often leads him to take it apart into small pieces, sometimes almost trivial cases, and digest them deeply. He doesn't hesitate to study simpler problems as springboards to other important discoveries". Michel Talagrand says it's "useful to be humble and start by fully understanding simple universal structures, because they raise important questions. After these steps, the problem studied is better understood, and there is then a potential path to the goal. Patience and technique are then indispensable", he adds.
French President Emmanuel Macron congradulated the laureate, as well as French prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the French Minister of Higher Education and Research Sylvie Retailleau.
- 1UMR7586 – CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité
Rencontre avec Michel Talagrand, mathématicien, lauréat du Prix Abel 2024 | Actu CNRS
L’Académie norvégienne des sciences et des lettres a décidé d’attribuer le prix Abel 2024 au Français Michel Talagrand, qui a effectué sa carrière de chercheur au CNRS. L’équivalent du prix Nobel des mathématiques lui est décerné « pour ses contributions révolutionnaires à la théorie des probabilités et à l’analyse fonctionnelle, avec des applications remarquables en physique mathématique et en statistique ».
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About the Abel prize
- The award ceremony will take place in Oslo on 21 May 2024
- The Abel Prize is funded by the Norwegian Government and amounts to NOK 7.5 million
- The prize is awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and presented by King Harald V
- The choice of the Abel laureate is based on the recommendation of the Abel Committee, which is composed of five internationally recognised mathematicians
- For more information, please visit www.abelprize.no
Tree specific areas awarded
The Abel Prize is given for three specific areas of Talagrand's work:
- Suprema of stochastic processes
- Concentration of measures
- Spin glass
According to Professor Helge Holden, chair of the Abel Committee, "Michel Talagrand is an exceptional mathematician, and a formidable problem solver. He has made profound contributions to our understanding of random, and in particular, Gaussian, processes. His work has reshaped several areas of probability theory. Furthermore, his proof of the celebrated Parisi formula for free energy of spin glasses is an amazing accomplishment".
The Abel Prize joins the dozen or so awards Michel Talagrand has already received over the course of his career, including the Shaw Prize in 2019.
The live announcement of the Abel Prize by King Harald V can be found here, along with congratulations from the Norwegian Prime Minister.
Michel Talagrand's live reaction to winning the 2024 Abel Prize.
Michel Talagrand's live reaction to winning the 2024 Abel Prize.
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The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters press releases
"Michel Talagrand awarded the 2024 Abel Prize". Find out more in the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters press releases in French, in English, in Norvegian, in Arabic, in Chinese, in Russian et in Spanish.
CNRS press release
"Abel Prize 2024 awarded to French CNRS mathematician Michel Talagrand". Find out more in the CNRS press release on the Abel Prize 2024.
Agence France-Presse
"Michel Talagrand, 72 year-old French mathematician, has won the Abel Prize for Mathematics. This former CNRS director is a specialist in probability and functional analysis. He is the fifth Frenchman to win this prize since it was first awarded in 2003". Find out more in the official post announcing the Abel Prize 2024 by Agence France-Presse.
Quanta magazine
"Michel Talagrand Wins Abel Prize for Work Wrangling Randomness". Find out more in Quanta Magazine article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Le Monde
"French mathematician Michel Talagrand receives the Abel Prize, a prestigious mathematics award: The 72-year-old probability specialist is the fifth Frenchman to be awarded this renowned prize". Find out more in Le Monde article on the Abel Prize 2024.
New York Times
"Abel Prize Awarded for Studies of Universe’s Randomness". Find out more in the New York Times article on the Abel Prize 2024.
France Info
"The Abel Prize, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for mathematics, awarded to Frenchman Michel Talagrand: "An award that's a bit hard to bear"". Find out more in the France Info article on the Abel Prize 2024.
"Abel Prize for Mathematics: "It's a bit of a hard award to bear, and I don't sleep at night almost because of it", confie Michel Talagrand". Find out more in the France Info article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Nature
"Mathematician who tamed randomness wins Abel Prize: Michel Talagrand laid mathematical groundwork that has allowed others to tackle problems involving random processes". Find out more in Nature magazine article about the Abel Prize 2024.
Sciences et Avenir
"Nobel Prize in Mathematics: Abel Prize 2024 awarded to Frenchman Michel Talagrand". Find out more in Sciences et Avenir article on the Abel Prize 2024.
BBC
"Michel Talagrand wins Abel Prize for randomness studies". Find out more in the BBC article on the Abel Prize 2024.
France Inter
"France's Michel Talagrand wins the Abel Prize for Mathematics". Find out more in the France Inter article on the Abel Prize 2024.
HuffingtonPost
"Michel Talagrand, awarded the Abel Prize for Mathematics, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize". Find out more in the Huffington Post article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Sciences & Vie
"Abel Prize 2024: Frenchman Michel Talagrand wins prestigious award for his work in probability theory and stochastic processes". Find out more in the Sciences & Vie article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Pour la science
"The Abel 2024 prize is awarded to Michel Talagrand". Find out more in the Pour la science article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Libération
"A formidable problem-solver, France's Michel Talagrand wins the Nobel Prize in Mathematics". Find out more in the Libération article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Le Figaro
"French mathematician Michel Talagrand wins the prestigious Abel Prize for Mathematics". Find out more in the Figaro article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Le parisien
"French mathematician Michel Talagrand wins the Abel Prize for Mathematics". Find out more in the Parisien article on the Abel Prize 2024.
TF1 Info
"The "Nobel Prize in maths" goes to a Frenchman: who is Michel Talagrand, winner of the Abel Prize?". Find out more in the TF1 Info article on the Abel Prize 2024.
RTL
"EDITORIAL - The love of maths is an existential issue for France, says Etienne Grenelle. On Wednesday March 20, a Frenchman, Michel Talagrand, was awarded the prestigious Abel Prize for Mathematics. Étienne Grenelle believes he should be celebrated as a national hero, because there are few issues as important to a country as fostering a love of maths". Find out more in the RTL article on the Abel Prize 2024. Retrouvez ici l'article de RTL sur le prix Abel 2024.
Ouest France
"Outstanding mathematician Michel Talagrand receives the Abel 2024 Prize". Find out more in the Ouest France article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Le Télégramme
"Abel Prize for Mathematics: Frenchman Michel Talagrand wins award". Find out more in the Télégramme article on the Abel Prize 2024.
Le Point
"« Je n’ai pensé qu’à survivre » : la leçon de vie de Michel Talagrand, Prix Abel 2024". Retrouvez ici l'article du Point sur le prix Abel 2024.
Futura Sciences
"Le prix Abel 2024 va au Français Michel Talagrand, un maître de la théorie des probabilités". Retrouvez ici l'article de Futura Sciences sur le prix Abel 2024.