Professor Akshay Venkatesh has won this year's Fields Medal, an award often described as the Nobel Prize of mathematics.
The 36-year-old professor grew up in Perth then moved to US and works at Stanford University. He specialises in pure mathematics and number theory. He was among four mathematicians from around the world to be awarded this year's Fields Medal.
Professor Venkatesh received the medal during an awards ceremony at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Rio de Janeiro.
The Fields Medal is only awarded once every four years to between two and four researchers under the age of 40 in recognition of their mathematical achievement.
Accoreding to SBS News, “After winning prestigious international maths prizes as a school student, he began a science degree at the University of Western Australia when he was just 13 years old. Three years later he became one of the university's youngest graduates after completing his degree, with first class honours, 12 months earlier than expected.”
“The only other Australian to have been awarded the Fields Medal was Professor Terrence Tao in 2006.”, reported SBS News.
