Ukrainian mathematician and Fields Medal winner Maryna Viazovska has been elected as an international member of the US National Academy of Sciences, according to the Academy’s website.
The institution selected new members “in recognition of their distinguished achievements in original research,” according to the NAS announcement.
“This recognition reflects the groundbreaking contributions made by researchers across multiple scientific disciplines,” the NAS said.
The US National Academy of Sciences, established in 1863, is a private institution that recognizes scientific achievement through membership. Together with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, it provides scientific guidance to the federal government and other organizations.
The Academy currently consists of 2,662 active members and 556 international members.
This year, the NAS welcomed 150 new members: 120 American scientists and 30 researchers with citizenship from other countries.
Viazovska serves as a professor and head of the Number Theory Chair at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland.
“My work focuses on solving fundamental mathematical problems with applications in communications and cryptography,” Viazovska said.
She gained international recognition for her revolutionary contributions to theoretical mathematics. In 2022, Viazovska became only the second woman in history to receive the Fields Medal, often described as the “Nobel Prize of Mathematics.”
Her most famous achievement came in 2016 when she solved the sphere packing problem in 8-dimensional space, part of Hilbert’s 18th problem. This question had remained unsolved for over 400 years.
According to mathematics experts, the solution provides new insights for digital communications, coding theory, and cryptography.
Time magazine included Viazovska in its 2022 list of 100 people shaping the future of the world.
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