Peter Lax wins Abel Prize

otisaardvark writes "The prestigious Abel Prize, awarded annually for lifetime contributions to mathematics, has been awarded to Peter Lax [pdf]. Professor Lax, born in Hungary and currently at New York University, has made profound contributions to the theory of partial differential equations, most famously his reformulation of a large class of important PDES (so-called "integrable systems") in terms of Lax pairs of coupled, simplified equations. Read a summary of his achievements here [pdf]."

Comments

Re:Wait what?

[kisak]

Actually, if you read the different articles, you would have seen that Lax has been working with problems important in physics. I don't know if physics is practial enough for you, but it is hard to deny the influence on modern technology from break-throughs in physics in the last century.

Here is Lax's advive to young mathematicians: "I heartily recommend that all young mathematicians try their skill in some branch of applied mathematics. It is a gold mine of deep problems whose solutions await conceptual as well as technical breakthroughs. It displays an enormous variety, to suit every style; it gives mathematicians a chance to be part of the larger scientific and technological enterprise. Good hunting!"

No

[bluGill]

Math is one of the few classes where you can learn something truly beautiful that is also useful. Few classes are more useful in day to day life. (reading, perhaps grammar)

Find a good math instructor. In grade school and somewhat in high school, teachers are people who hate math, and so they are unwilling to show you just how much fun it really is.