Terry Tao

Terence "Terry" Tao is an Australian-American mathematician renowned for his extensive contributions to various fields of mathematics, including harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, additive combinatorics, and number theory. Born on July 17, 1975, in Adelaide, Australia, Tao displayed exceptional mathematical talent from a young age.

Some key highlights of his career:

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  Early Achievement: Tao was a child prodigy who attended university-level mathematics courses at age nine and became the youngest participant to date in the International Mathematical Olympiad, winning a bronze medal at age ten, silver at eleven, and gold at twelve.

  
  


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  Academic Career: He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University at the age of 20 under the supervision of Elias Stein. Tao is a faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he became a full professor at just 24 years old.

  
  


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  Fields Medal: In 2006, Tao was awarded the Fields Medal, one of the highest honors in mathematics, for his contributions to partial differential equations, combinatorics, harmonic analysis, and additive number theory.

  
  


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  Other Honors: He has received numerous awards, including the MacArthur Fellowship (often called the "Genius Grant"), the Crafoord Prize, and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics.

  
  


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  Publications and Outreach: Tao is also known for his extensive publications and for maintaining a mathematics blog where he discusses research and mathematical problems, making complex topics accessible to a broader audience.

  
  

Terry Tao is widely regarded as one of the most influential and prolific mathematicians of his generation, known for his ability to collaborate across various mathematical disciplines and for solving deep, longstanding problems.