On March 19, 2019, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters awarded the 2019 Abel Prize to Dr. Karen Uhlenbeck. MSRI extends its sincere congratulations to Dr. Uhlenbeck, who has served on the MSRI Board of Trustees from 1981-1990 and again from 2012-2016.
The awards committee cited Uhlenbeck for “her pioneering achievements in geometric partial differential equations, gauge theory and integrable systems, and for the fundamental impact of her work on analysis, geometry and mathematical physics.”
With the support of MSRI, Celebratio Mathematica has created a wonderful online biographical volume on Karen Uhlenbeck, featuring her life story, her foundational contributions to mathematics and physics, and her thoughts on being a mathematician. On the happy occasion of her Abel Prize award, MSRI invites everyone to visit this site, to get to know Karen Uhlenbeck better, and to celebrate her many achievements.
MSRI Trustee Dan Freed (University of Texas, Austin) shared the following reflections on the announcement:
Karen is that rare mathematician who ventures into new areas, bolts directly to core issues, and then proves fundamental theorems which open up novel pathways. Her work is a guiding light for others: beautiful mathematics that leads to more beautiful mathematics. In a much broader sense, Karen is also a guiding light and an inspiration to generations of younger mathematicians. The Abel prize is a wonderful and fitting recognition.
Further Reading:
- The Abel Prize Laureate 2019 International Page
- Abel Prize awards citation
- New York Times: Karen Uhlenbeck Is First Woman to Win Abel Prize for Mathematics
- Quanta Magazine: Karen Uhlenbeck, Uniter of Geometry and Analysis, Wins Abel Prize
- Nature: Soap-bubble pioneer is first woman to win prestigious maths prize
- Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) press release