Ravi Vakil is the fourth individual in the history of the Putnam competition to be named a Putnam Fellow four consecutive times. A specialist in algebraic geometry, he currently serves as the president of the American Mathematical Society, a leadership role that began on February 1, 2025, reflecting his status within the global mathematical community.
Early Academic Development
Born in Toronto in 1970, Vakil attended Martingrove Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke, Ontario. During his secondary education, he distinguished himself in mathematical olympiads, participating as a member of the Canadian team in three International Mathematical Olympiads. His performance resulted in a silver medal in 1986, followed by gold medals—including one with a perfect score—in 1987 and 1988. He subsequently earned his BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Toronto in 1992 before moving to Harvard University, where he completed his PhD in mathematics in 1997 under the supervision of Joe Harris.
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Vakil has held academic positions at Princeton University and MIT before joining the faculty at Stanford University in the fall of 2001. He reached the rank of full professor in 2007. His research centers on algebraic geometry, specifically investigating enumerative geometry, topology, and Gromov–Witten theory. His work in Schubert calculus yielded significant results, including the proof that all Schubert problems are enumerative over the real numbers. In 2025, he published his textbook, The Rising Sea: Foundations of Algebraic Geometry, a project that had been available in draft form online since 2010.
Awards and Professional Service
Over the course of his career, Vakil has received numerous honors including the 2000 G. de B. Robinson prize, the 2005 André-Aisenstadt Prize, and the 2014 Chauvenet Prize. He received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2003. In 2013, he was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. Beyond his research, he has served as a coordinator for weekly Putnam preparation seminars at Stanford and held a Continuing Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education appointment starting in 2008.
Fast facts
- Born: 1970, Toronto
- Citizenship: Canada
- Fields of work: Algebraic geometry, mathematics
- Positions held: President of the American Mathematical Society (2025-2027)
- Putnam Fellow: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
- Alma Mater: University of Toronto, Harvard University
- Notable Publication: The Rising Sea: Foundations of Algebraic Geometry (2025)
Questions readers ask
What is the primary field of study for Ravi Vakil?
He is a mathematician specializing in algebraic geometry.
When did his term as president of the American Mathematical Society begin?
His two-year term as president commenced on February 1, 2025.
Where does he currently teach?
He is a professor at Stanford University.
Achievements
- Held posts at Stanford University and National Science Foundation
- Fields: algebraic geometry and mathematics
