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George Lusztig
Born (1946-05-20) May 20, 1946 (age 79)
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)
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 professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is a famous university.

His Journey in Mathematics

Early Life and Studies

George Lusztig was born in a city called Timișoara in Romania. He studied at the University of Bucharest and finished his first degree in 1968.

After that, he moved to the United Kingdom. He spent time at the University of Warwick and Oxford University. In 1969, he moved to the United States.

Becoming a Doctor of Math

In the U.S., he worked with another famous mathematician, Michael Atiyah. George Lusztig earned his PhD in mathematics in 1971. A PhD is the highest university degree you can get. His research was about complex math topics.

Teaching and Research Career

Before joining MIT, Lusztig worked at the University of Warwick for almost seven years. He started as a research fellow and then became a professor of mathematics. In 1978, he accepted a special teaching position at MIT, where he has been ever since.

What He Discovered

George Lusztig is famous for his work in something called representation theory. This part of mathematics helps us understand complex structures like algebraic groups.

  • He developed new ideas like "character sheaves."
  • He also created the "Deligne–Lusztig varieties."
  • And he introduced the "Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials."

These ideas have greatly changed how mathematicians study and understand different types of groups and algebras. His work has opened new paths in modern representation theory.

Awards and Special Honors

George Lusztig has received many important awards for his contributions to mathematics:

  • In 1983, he became a member of the Royal Society in the UK.
  • 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 2008, he got the Leroy P. Steele Prize for his lifetime achievements in mathematics.
  • He became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012.
  • In 2014, he was awarded the Shaw Prize in Mathematics.
  • Most recently, in 2022, he received the Wolf Prize in Mathematics, which is one of the most respected awards in the field.
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