In 2014, the International Mathematical Union awarded Manjul Bhargava the Fields Medal for developing new methods in the geometry of numbers. These techniques allowed him to count rings of small rank and establish bounds for the average rank of elliptic curves, marking a significant advancement in the study of number theory.
Early Education and Academic Foundation
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1974, Manjul Bhargava spent much of his youth on Long Island, New York. His early instruction came from his mother, Mira Bhargava, who taught mathematics at Hofstra University. By age 14, he had finished all high school mathematics and computer science coursework. He graduated from Plainedge High School as class valedictorian in 1992. He subsequently attended Harvard University, earning his AB in 1996 and receiving the Morgan Prize for his undergraduate research, which introduced the Bhargava factorial.
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Bhargava pursued graduate studies at Princeton University, where he completed his doctoral dissertation, Higher composition laws, under the supervision of Andrew Wiles. Awarded his PhD in 2001 with the support of a Hertz Fellowship, his work generalized classical laws for the composition of binary quadratic forms. His research career includes the discovery of fourteen new Gauss-style composition laws and proofs of the 15 theorem and 290 theorem, the latter completed alongside Jonathan Hanke.
Professional Appointments and Public Outreach
Bhargava serves as the Robert Gunning-Brandon Fradd, Class of 1983, Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and holds the Stieltjes Chair in Number Theory at Leiden University. He maintains adjunct professorships at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and the University of Hyderabad. In 2026, he became the first president of the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York City, furthering his commitment to public mathematical dissemination.
Fast facts
- Born: 1974, Hamilton, Ontario
- Citizenship: Canada, United States
- Doctoral Advisor: Andrew Wiles
- Fields Medal: 2014
- Religion: Hinduism
- Academic Home: Princeton University
Questions readers ask
What is the Bhargava factorial?
It is a generalization of the standard factorial function that addresses a long-standing mathematical question originally posed by George Pólya.
What subjects did Bhargava study outside of mathematics?
He studied the tabla under Zakir Hussain and pursued the study of Sanskrit, specifically Sanskrit poetry, under his grandfather Purushottam Lal Bhargava.
Achievements
- Fields medal — 2014
- Cole Prize in Number Theory — 2008
- Fermat Prize — 2011
- Infosys Prize — 2012
- Clay Research Award
- Held posts at Princeton University and Leiden University
- Fields: number theory
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