Pierre Deligne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Deligne
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Deligne in March 2005
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| Born | 3 October 1944 Etterbeek, Belgium
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| Nationality | Belgian |
| Alma mater | Université libre de Bruxelles |
| Known for | Proof of the Weil conjectures Perverse sheaves Concepts named after Deligne |
| Awards | Abel Prize (2013) Wolf Prize (2008) Balzan Prize (2004) Crafoord Prize (1988) Fields Medal (1978) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Institute for Advanced Study Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques |
| Doctoral advisor | Alexander Grothendieck |
| Doctoral students | Lê Dũng Tráng Miles Reid Michael Rapoport |
Pierre Deligne (born 3 October 1944) is a famous Belgian mathematician. He is best known for solving the Weil conjectures in 1973. These were very difficult math problems.
Deligne has won many top awards for his work. These include the Abel Prize in 2013, the Wolf Prize in 2008, the Crafoord Prize in 1988, and the Fields Medal in 1978. The Fields Medal is often called the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics."
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Pierre Deligne was born in Etterbeek, Belgium. He went to school at Athénée Adolphe Max. Later, he studied at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
He earned his first degree with a paper about a math idea called the "Lefschetz theorem." In 1972, he finished his highest degree (doctorate) at the University of Paris-Sud. His main teacher was a very important mathematician named Alexander Grothendieck.
His Math Career
In 1965, Deligne started working with Alexander Grothendieck. They worked at a special math institute near Paris. This place was called the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHÉS).
Deligne also worked with another famous mathematician, Jean-Pierre Serre. Together, they made important discoveries about how numbers and shapes connect.
Solving the Weil Conjectures
Deligne's most famous achievement was proving the Weil conjectures. These were three very hard problems in math. They were about counting points on certain shapes using special equations.
Another mathematician, Alexander Grothendieck, had started working on these problems. Deligne finished the proof in 1973. This was a huge step forward in a field called algebraic geometry.
His proof also helped solve another big math problem. It was called the Ramanujan–Petersson conjecture. This showed how powerful Deligne's new methods were.
Working on Hodge Theory
Deligne also spent a lot of time on something called Hodge theory. This is a way to study complex shapes using special mathematical tools. He found new ways to understand these shapes.
He also worked with David Mumford on how to describe different types of curves. Their work helped create a new area of math called algebraic stacks. This has even been used in ideas like string theory in physics.
Later Work and Awards
From 1970 to 1984, Deligne was a full-time member at the IHÉS. During this time, he did much more important math.
He worked with George Lusztig to understand groups of numbers. He also worked with Michael Rapoport on how to study shapes in a very detailed way.
In 1978, Deligne received the Fields Medal. This is one of the highest honors a mathematician can get. In 1984, he moved to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, USA.
Perverse Sheaves
Deligne also helped develop a math idea called perverse sheaves. This is a very advanced tool. It helps mathematicians solve complex problems in different areas of math. For example, it was used to prove the fundamental lemma.
Awards and Honors
Pierre Deligne has received many important awards for his math work:
- Fields Medal in 1978
- Crafoord Prize in 1988
- Balzan Prize in 2004
- Wolf Prize in 2008
- Abel Prize in 2013
The Abel Prize recognized his "huge contributions to algebraic geometry." It also noted how his work changed number theory and other math fields.
In 2006, the King of Belgium made him a viscount. This is a special title of honor.
He is also a member of several important science groups. These include the French Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Selected Writings
Deligne has written many important math papers and books. One example is a two-volume book called Quantum fields and strings: a course for mathematicians. He helped edit this book. It came from a special year of study at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Hand-written Letters
In the 1970s, Deligne wrote many hand-written letters to other mathematicians. These letters often contained new ideas and helped spread knowledge.
Math Ideas Named After Deligne
Many math ideas are named after Pierre Deligne because of his important discoveries. Here are a few:
- Deligne–Lusztig theory
- Deligne–Mumford moduli space of curves
- Deligne–Mumford stacks
- Fourier–Deligne transform
- Deligne cohomology
- Deligne motive
- Deligne tensor product of abelian categories
- Deligne's theorem
- Weil-Deligne group
Many math problems that mathematicians are still trying to solve are also called "Deligne conjectures." These are ideas he proposed that others are working to prove.
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Deligne para niños
- Brumer–Stark conjecture
- E7½
- Hodge–de Rham spectral sequence
- Logarithmic form
- Kodaira vanishing theorem
- Moduli of algebraic curves
- Motive (algebraic geometry)
- Perverse sheaf
- Riemann–Hilbert correspondence
- Serre's modularity conjecture
- Standard conjectures on algebraic cycles
