George Lusztig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Lusztig
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| Born | May 20, 1946 |
| Citizenship | Romanian, British, American |
| Alma mater | University of Bucharest (BSc) Princeton University (PhD) |
| Known for | Crystal base Deligne–Lusztig theory Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomial |
| Awards | ICM Speaker (1974, 1983, 1990) Berwick Prize (1977) Guggenheim Fellowship (1982) FRS (1983) Cole Prize (1985) Brouwer Medal (1999) Leroy P. Steele Prize (2008) Shaw Prize (2014) Wolf Prize in Mathematics (2022) Basic Science Lifetime Award (2025) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Warwick Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Doctoral advisor | Michael Atiyah William Browder |
| Doctoral students | Corrado de Concini Ian Grojnowski Xuhua He |
George Lusztig (born Gheorghe Lusztig on May 20, 1946) is a very important mathematician. He was born in Romania and is now an American citizen. He works as a special professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). From 1999 to 2009, he was also a Norbert Wiener Professor in the MIT Mathematics Department.
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George Lusztig's Early Life and Education
George Lusztig was born in Timișoara, Romania. He started his university studies at the University of Bucharest. He finished his first degree in 1968. Later that year, he moved to the United Kingdom. He spent time studying at the University of Warwick and Oxford University.
Moving to the United States and PhD
In 1969, George Lusztig moved to the United States. He worked with a famous mathematician named Michael Atiyah for two years. This was at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He earned his PhD in mathematics in 1971. A PhD is a very high university degree. His research was about complex math topics. His supervisors were William Browder and Michael Atiyah.
Working at Universities
After getting his PhD, Lusztig worked at the University of Warwick for almost seven years. He started as a research fellow. Then he became a lecturer and later a full Professor of Mathematics. In 1978, he accepted a special teaching position at MIT. He has been there ever since.
George Lusztig's Contributions to Mathematics
George Lusztig is famous for his work in a field called representation theory. This part of mathematics helps us understand complex structures. He studied things like algebraic groups and quantum groups. These are special kinds of mathematical groups.
New Ideas in Representation Theory
He created many new and important ideas. These ideas have changed how mathematicians study representation theory. Some of his key ideas include character sheaves and Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials. These concepts are very advanced. They help mathematicians solve difficult problems. His work has opened up new paths for research.
Awards and Honors for George Lusztig
George Lusztig has received many important awards for his work. These awards show how much his contributions mean to mathematics.
- In 1983, he became a member of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group of scientists.
- He won the Cole Prize in Algebra in 1985.
- In 1992, he was chosen to be part of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
- He received the Brouwer Medal in 1999.
- In 2003, he was given the National Order of Faithful Service.
- He received the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Mathematics in 2008. This award honors his entire career.
- In 2012, he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.
- He received the Shaw Prize in Mathematics in 2014.
- In 2022, he was awarded the Wolf Prize in Mathematics. This is one of the most important awards in mathematics.
- Most recently, in 2025, he received the Basic Science Lifetime Award.
