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Jean-Marc Fontaine
Jean-Marc.jpg
Born (1944-03-13)13 March 1944
Died 29 January 2019(2019-01-29) (aged 74)
Nationality French
Scientific career
Fields Mathematics
Institutions Paris-Sud 11 University
Doctoral advisor Jean-Pierre Serre
Doctoral students Christophe Breuil
Pierre Colmez
Jean-Pierre Wintenberger

Jean-Marc Fontaine (born March 13, 1944 – died January 29, 2019) was a very smart French mathematician. He helped create a special area of math called p-adic Hodge theory. He taught at Paris-Sud 11 University as a professor from 1988 until he passed away.

Jean-Marc Fontaine's Life and Work

Early Life and Studies

Jean-Marc Fontaine started his studies at the École Polytechnique in 1962. This is a famous engineering school in France. From 1965 to 1971, he worked as a researcher at CNRS. He earned his doctorate degree in 1972.

Teaching Career

After his doctorate, Fontaine taught at different universities. He was at the University of Paris VI from 1971 to 1972. Then, from 1972 to 1988, he worked at the University of Grenoble. He started there as a lecturer and later became a professor. In 1989, he became a professor at the University of Paris-Sud XI in Orsay. He stayed there until he died.

Important Math Discoveries

Fontaine made many important contributions to mathematics. He helped create p-adic Hodge theory. This is a complex part of math that connects different areas. He also proved that there are no special types of shapes called "abelian varieties" over rational numbers. This was a big deal in the math world. He also worked on ideas like geometric Galois representation and Bloch-Kato conjectures. These are advanced topics in number theory.

Awards and Recognition

Jean-Marc Fontaine received several awards for his work. In 1984, he was given the Prix Carrière by the French Academy of Sciences. He became a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 2002. That same year, he also won the Gay-Lussac-Humboldt Prize. He was invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians twice. This is a very important event for mathematicians worldwide.

His Students

Fontaine also taught and guided many students. Some of his notable students include Christophe Breuil, Pierre Colmez, and Jean-Pierre Wintenberger. These students went on to become important mathematicians themselves.

Prizes and Distinctions

  • Cours Peccot du Collège de France (1975) [fr]
  • Prix Carrière de l'Académie des sciences (1984)
  • Prix Humboldt-Gay Lussac de la foundation Alexander von Humboldt (2002)

See also

  • Fontaine–Mazur conjecture
  • Fontaine's period rings
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