Masaki Kashiwara, project professor at Kyoto University’s Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, has been awarded the prestigious Abel Prize for 2025.
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters made the announcement on March 26, recognizing Kashiwara’s groundbreaking work in algebraic analysis and representation theory.
“I was completely surprised, as I never expected it. I am truly honored to receive this recognition,” Kashiwara, 78, said.
The Abel Prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Mathematics,” is awarded annually to mathematicians who have made outstanding contributions to the field. Kashiwara is the first Japanese mathematician to receive the honor.
PIONEERING D-MODULE THEORY
Kashiwara is best known for his work on D-module theory, a new basis for studying systems of linear differential equations with algebraic analysis, according to the Norwegian academy.
It praised Kashiwara as “a true mathematical visionary” who “has opened the door to a new mathematical field.”
The Abel Prize was established in 2002 as an award given to mathematicians who have made pioneering achievements. The prize money is 7.5 million Norwegian kroner (106 million yen, or $710,000). The award ceremony will be held in Oslo on May 20.
CALCULATED ON CHOPSTICK WRAPPERS
Kashiwara’s research career was shaped by renowned mathematician Mikio Sato (1928-2023), whose lectures he attended as a student at the University of Tokyo.
He later said, “I was amazed by the out-of-park-homer ideas. I learned that mathematics is something you create yourself.”
Following Sato, Kashiwara moved to Kyoto University, where they spent all day talking in Sato’s laboratory at the university’s Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences. When they went for lunch, they jotted calculations down on the back of chopstick wrappers.
The central topic of their discussions was “algebraic analysis,” a new field Sato had founded.
In 1970, when he was 23, Kashiwara completed his master’s thesis under Sato’s supervision. This thesis established the foundations of D-Module Theory, a new basis for studying systems of linear differential equations with algebraic analysis.
INNOVATIVE ‘SKK PAPER’
In 1973, Kashiwara collaborated with Sato and Takahiro Kawai to publish a groundbreaking scientific paper that has become a bible of algebraic analysis. It is often referred to as the “SKK Paper,” after their initials.
He continued to publish groundbreaking discoveries and new solutions, such as proving the Riemann-Hilbert Correspondence and developing the theory of crystal bases for quantum groups.
He is also known for the Kashiwara Watermelon Cut Theorem, which brought together hyperfunctions, vector fields and analytic wave fronts.
Kashiwara has had more than 70 collaborators so far. Even after his official retirement in 2010, he stayed with the university, traveling overseas and writing papers.
“His work continues to be at the forefront of contemporary mathematics and to inspire generations of researchers,” said Annelin Eriksen, president of the academy.
BIGGER PRIZE MONEY THAN FIELDS MEDAL
The Abel Prize is a relatively new award established in 2002. It is named after the genius mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802−1829), who died young at the age of 26 and from whom the “Abelian group” originated.
The Abel Prize is often likened to the Fields Medal, which was created as an alternative to the Nobel Prize, as the Nobel Prize does not have a category for mathematics.
Since 1936, the Fields Medal has been awarded every four years to individuals aged 40 or younger, a narrow threshold. Many mathematicians have missed out on the Fields Medal despite their significant achievements.
Among those from Japan, Kunihiko Kodaira, Heisuke Hironaka and Shigefumi Mori have received the prize.
Unlike the Fields Medal, the Abel Prize has no age limit and is awarded annually. The prize money is comparable to that of the Nobel Prize, a significant contrast to the 15,000 Canadian dollars (1.5 million yen) given with the Fields Medal.
As a result, some argue that the Abel Prize resembles the Nobel Prize more closely than the Fields Medal does.
The Abel Prize tends to go to mathematicians who are older than 60 with significant experience.
Past recipients include Andrew Wiles, who proved “Fermat’s Last Theorem” which had puzzled mathematicians for 350 years, and John Nash, whose life inspired the 2001 Academy Award-winning movie “A Beautiful Mind.”
Previous awards that Kashiwara received include the Asahi Prize, the Japan Academy Prize, the Kyoto Prize and the Chern Medal.
AloJapan.com