Vietnam's Ngo Bao Chau in Running for 2010 Fields Medal

August 11, 2010 

Thirty years ago, Canadian-American mathematician Robert Langlands developed a theory connecting number theory and group theory, dubbed the "fundamental lemma." Over the past few years, Vietnam's Ngo Bao Chau had proposed a proof for Langland’s seminal theory.

In an interview before heading to the 2010 International Congress of Mathematics, in Hyderabad, India, where this year's Fields Medal will be awarded, Ngo Bao Chau indicated that the possibility of winning mathematics highest honor made him a bit "nervous.”

"If it becomes true, this will be not only my pride, but also the pride of all Vietnamese young people who devote themselves to scientific research," he said. "The Fields Medal, if I can receive the award, will mean a very high responsibility."

When asked what he would do to help develop mathematics in Vietnam, Chau responded,  I think that the future of Vietnam’s sciences depends on whether or not we can set up young research teams that can access the pulse of modern science."

"I also hope that my voice will help the public understand more about the role of mathematics in particular and the basic sciences in our lives," Chau said.

Earlier this year, Ngo Bao Chau accepted a position at the University of Chicago. In early August, 2010, Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan congratulated Chau on his scientific achievements and expressed a hope for even bigger contributions. At the same time Nhan promised that Vietnam would do its part by creating better working conditions for Chau at home.

Source: VietNamNet (8/9/2010)