Jacob Tsimerman, a professor of number theory and arithmetic geometry in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Department of Mathematics, has received the prestigious John L. Synge Award.
The John L. Synge Award is bestowed annually for outstanding research in any of the branches of the mathematical sciences. It is awarded by the Royal Society of Canada in honour of John Lighton Synge (1897-1995), FRS, FRSC, former head of the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Toronto and one of the first mathematicians working in Canada to receive international recognition for his research.
“I am truly honoured to accept the Synge Award,” says Tsimerman. “Mathematics is a collective endeavour and I am thrilled to share this honour with a wonderful community of friends, colleagues and students. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to delve even deeper into the challenges and beauty that mathematics offers.”
Tsimerman’s research focuses primarily on analytic number theory and arithmetic geometry. He studies whole number solutions to certain types of polynomial equations. One of his most notable research accomplishments is his contribution to a proof for a longstanding mathematical hypothesis called the André-Oort conjecture.
“Jacob Tsimerman is the foremost number theorist of his generation, and his work has already been honoured by major international awards within number theory and mathematics more broadly,” says Robert Jerrard, chair of the Department of Mathematics. “It’s great to see his groundbreaking contributions receiving the recognition they deserve within the broader scientific community.”
Tsimerman adds the latest honour to a list of accolades that includes the New Horizons Prize, the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize, the Frontiers of Science Award, the Ostrowski Prize and the Coxeter-James Prize. He is also a two-time gold medalist in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) for high school students.
“The Synge Award is yet another sign this brilliant mathematician is following a promising trajectory begun at an early age,” says Antoinette Handley, acting dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science and a professor of political science. “We are proud to congratulate Professor Tsimerman on this, his latest honour, and look forward to following his outstanding research.”