Indian-born wins Math Nobel Prize

OSLO: Indian-born mathematician, Srinivasa S R Varadhan has been awarded the Norwegian Abel Prize or the Nobel Prize for mathematics.

According to the jury, Varadhan was cited for his ‘fundamental contributions to probability theory and in particular for a unified theory of large deviations’.

Varadhan currently teaches at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, and his theories have proved useful in a broad range of fields, including quantum field theory, statistical physics, population dynamics, econometrics and finance, and traffic engineering.

The prize money amounts to $8,50,000 and will be conferred on him at a ceremony in Oslo later this year.

Chennai born Varadan has been in the US for the last four decades. Vardhan spoke to a private Indian television channel after winning the award saying that his passion for mathematics came through Ramanujam.

"I come from south India, and Ramanujan's name is extremely well known there. Even in high school our teachers talked about him, as somebody from a different generation of course, but who reached exalted heights. He was a role model for me," said Vardhan.

The Abel Prize was created in 2002 to commemorate the 200th centenary of the birth of Niels Henrik Abel. The Norwegian is acknowledged as one of the great names in mathematics although he died only aged 26.