A 1988 PhD from Stanford University marked the entry of Jonathan Pila into advanced number theory, a field he subsequently reshaped through his study of o-minimality and Diophantine problems. Born in 1962 in Melbourne, Australia, Pila has built a career that bridges the gap between analytic ideas and model theory, garnering significant academic recognition for his specialized contributions.
Academic Foundations and Early Career
Pila earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne in 1984 before moving to Stanford University to complete his doctorate in 1988 under the supervision of Peter Sarnak. His dissertation, titled Frobenius Maps of Abelian Varieties and Finding Roots of Unity in Finite Fields, established his early focus. Before his tenure at the University of Oxford, where he also received an MA in 2010, Pila held various academic positions. He served on the faculty at Columbia University, McGill University, and the University of Bristol. He also held a visiting membership at the Institute for Advanced Study and notably stepped away from academic mathematics for a period to work within his family's manufacturing business.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Research and Diophantine Analysis
The research conducted by Pila centers on number theory and model theory. His work involves applying o-minimality to Diophantine problems, a methodology developed through early collaboration with Enrico Bombieri and later research partnerships with Alex Wilkie and Umberto Zannier. These efforts resulted in an unconditional proof of the André–Oort conjecture regarding powers of the modular curve. Further research alongside Jacob Tsimerman extended this proof to include the Siegel modular variety. His editorial responsibilities have included serving as an editor for the Proceedings of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society and the journal Algebra and Number Theory.
Professional Recognition and Honors
Pila's contributions to mathematics have received extensive validation through several prestigious awards. In 2011, he was granted the Clay Research Award and the Senior Whitehead Prize from the London Mathematical Society for his influence on the André–Oort and Manin-Mumford conjectures. Additional distinctions include a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship (2008–2010), the Arf Lecture in 2011, and the Carol Karp Prize in 2013. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2015. Most recently, he was honored with the Rolf Schock Prize in Mathematics in 2022. He remains a member of the Royal Society and the Academia Europaea.
Fast facts
- Born: 1962, Melbourne, Australia
- PhD: Stanford University, 1988
- BSc: University of Melbourne, 1984
- Primary Field: Number Theory
- Current Employer: University of Oxford
- Fellow of the Royal Society: 2015
- Carol Karp Prize: 2013
- Rolf Schock Prize: 2022
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Jonathan Pila's research?
His work concentrates on number theory and model theory, specifically applying o-minimality to Diophantine problems.
Where does Jonathan Pila currently work?
He is based at the University of Oxford.
Achievements
- Carol Karp Prize — 2013
- Senior Whitehead Prize — 2011
- Fellow of the Royal Society — 2015
- Held posts at University of Oxford
- Fields: number theory
.jpg)