The President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Nils Chr. Stenseth has announced that Professor Yakov G. Sinai, Princeton University, USA, and Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences has been awarded the 2014 Abel Prize ‘for his fundamental contributions to dynamical systems, ergodic theory, and mathematical physics’. The Abel Prize has been awarded annually since 2003 and carries a cash award of NOK 6,000,000 (about EUR 750,000 or USD 1 million).
Sinai has been particularly influential in connecting the world of (dynamical) deterministic systems with the world of probabilistic (stochastic) systems. One of the major developments of 20th century mathematics was the development of a rigorous theory, probability theory, for discussing random or uncertain events. The power of this body of tools and language is now embedded in the fabric of our society, where stochastic differential equations are part of common place modelling in biology, economics and decision making.
Professor Terry Lyons, President of the LMS, said, ‘Yakov G. Sinai is a giant who has transformed so much of our understanding of systems that evolve. By considering the simple example of an elastic point bouncing around (billiards) in a convex region he was able to demonstrate how physical systems can convert predictable deterministic behaviour into organised and well understood randomness and so explain the phenomena that has challenged philosophers for generations. He made deep contributions to the study of entropy, or information production, which are vital tools for understanding these systems. This stellar input became a foundation for a stream of work that today we take for granted in underpinning our understanding of dynamical systems and mathematical physics. It is said that his letter in defence of a colleague in the then Soviet Union explains why it was only in 1981, 17 years after submitting his PhD thesis that he became a professor’.
More information is available is available on the Abel Prize