The 2006 Fields Medal was awarded to Andrei Okounkov for his advancements in bridging the distinct mathematical domains of probability, representation theory, and algebraic geometry. Born in 1969 in Moscow, Russia, he has established a career as a university teacher and mathematician with significant contributions to special functions, the statistics of plane partitions, and the quantum cohomology of Hilbert schemes.
Academic Foundation and Early Career
Okounkov completed his undergraduate studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1993, graduating summa cum laude from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics. In 1995, he earned his doctorate at the same institution under the guidance of advisors Alexandre Kirillov and Grigori Olshanski. He holds a Candidate of Sciences degree in Physics and Mathematics. His early professional path included an instructor position at the University of Chicago and tenure-track roles at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship.
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His research focuses on representation theory and its application to algebraic geometry, mathematical physics, and probability theory. Much of his work on the Hilbert scheme of points in the complex plane was conducted in collaboration with Rahul Pandharipande. Together with Nikita Nekrasov and Davesh Maulik, he formulated conjectures connecting Gromov–Witten invariants and Donaldson–Thomas invariants of threefolds. These explorations into the representation theory of infinite symmetric groups and related fields remain central to his scholarly output.
Institutional Appointments and Professional Recognition
Between 2002 and 2010, Okounkov served as a professor at Princeton University. He later joined the faculty at Columbia University, where he currently serves as a professor. His administrative and advisory roles include working as the academic supervisor of the HSE International Laboratory of Representation Theory and Mathematical Physics. His contributions have been recognized with the 2001 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, the 2004 European Mathematical Society Prize, and the 2026 Nemmers Prize in Mathematics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Fast facts
- Born: 1969, Moscow
- Citizenship: United States; Russia
- Fields Medal: 2006
- Academic Degree: Candidate of Sciences
- Nemmers Prize in Mathematics: 2026
- Packard Fellowship: 2001
- Primary Language: Russian
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Andrei Okounkov's mathematical research?
He specializes in representation theory, algebraic geometry, mathematical physics, probability theory, and special functions.
Which major academic institutions has he been affiliated with?
He has held faculty positions at Columbia University, Princeton University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago.
Achievements
- Fields medal — 2006
- Held posts at Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley and University of Chicago
- Fields: representation theory, algebraic geometry and mathematical physics
