M. Ram Murty

mathematician

A 1976 Bachelor of Science degree from Carleton University launched M. Ram Murty into a career centered on number theory. Born in Guntur in 1953, he later completed his doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980, working under the supervision of Harold Stark and Dorian Goldfeld, establishing his path in academia.

Academic Appointments

Murty began his professional tenure at McGill University in 1982, maintaining his position there for fourteen years. In 1996, he transitioned to Queen's University. He currently holds a Queen's Research Chair in mathematics at the institution. In addition to his primary mathematical research, he maintains a cross-appointment as a professor of philosophy, focusing on Indian philosophy.

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Contributions to Number Theory

The scope of his research includes modular forms, sieve theory, and elliptic curves. His collaboration extends to his brother, V. Kumar Murty, with whom he has worked extensively. His publication record includes the 2006 book An introduction to sieve methods and their applications, co-authored with Alina Carmen Cojocaru, and the 1991 paper Mean values of derivatives of modular L-series.

Professional Recognition

Throughout his career, he has received various academic honors. These include the Coxeter–James Prize in 1988 and the Jeffery–Williams Prize in 2003. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1990 and a fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2013. He is also a member of the Indian National Science Academy, to which he was elected in 2008, and was awarded the CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize in 2024.

Fast facts

Questions readers ask

What is M. Ram Murty's area of expertise?

He specializes in number theory, with specific research interests in sieve theory, modular forms, and elliptic curves.

Where does he currently teach?

He is a professor at Queen's University in Canada, where he also holds a Queen's Research Chair.

Achievements

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