By Samantha Breslow

Former professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin John Tate was named the 2010 Abel Prize winner by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters for his lasting impact on the theory of numbers.

Photo Marsha Miller

Throughout his academic career, both as a student and a professor the branch of mathematics called number theory especially fascinated him. Tate said number theory is too complicated to explain in a simple manner; the best definition from Planetmath.org states that number theory is a branch of mathematics concerned with the study of the integers, and of the objects and structures that naturally arise from their study.

He would prove to be exceptionally influential in this field, and was immortalized when mathematical ideas were named in his honor:  the Tate module, Tate curve, Tate cycle, Tate cohomology and the Tate trace.

Nils Christian Stenseth, the President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, announced Tate’s most noteworthy title the Abel Prize Winner and recipient of close to one million dollars on March 24. Awarded since 2003, the Abel Prize recognizes exceedingly influential advancements made to mathematical sciences. When asked his reaction to the award, Tate said, “At first there was disbelief, but I realized it seemed too elaborate to be a hoax.  Then I was very happy, and felt lucky, and glad to live long enough to get it.”

Other honors include the Cole Prize in 1956, the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the American Mathematical Society in 1995 and the Wolf Prize in Mathematics in 2002. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a foreign member of the Academy of Sciences in Paris and an honorary member of the London Mathematical Society.

Tate’s advanced academic career commenced miles away from both Texas and Norway in the halls of Harvard University. Tate was admitted to Harvard University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics under the Conant program that granted admission to only two students from each state. He earned his doctoral degree from Princeton University and promptly returned to Harvard where he taught for 35 years.

In the summer of 1989, Tate left the east coast for Texas when he accepted one of the Sid Richardson Chairs in Math at The University of Texas at Austin. Preparing for the Texas heat, Tate said he was pleasantly surprised to find it bearable and instead enjoyed inexpensive restaurants and light traffic. Although he retired last summer, he taught advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in algebra and number theory for nearly 20 years. Tate said the aspect he most enjoyed about being a professor was that teaching a subject allowed him to learn it better, which sometimes spurred new ideas, and he liked that his job helped him keep in contact with young people in his later years.

Tate’s decision to become a professor was an easy one because he could earn a good living by doing what he most liked to do: think about math. It is not only a position that he enjoyed but also one that allowed him to positively influence generations of students studying mathematics. “After moving to Austin from Harvard, Tate’s presence was a critical force in the ongoing creation of our mathematics program,” William Beckner, the Chair of Mathematics at UT Austin, said. “[He posseses] a sharp mathematical intellect, [and he is] warm and generous in sharing both mathematics and life.”

Tate said his interest in math was sparked in his childhood. “The fun of doing math is akin to the fun of solving puzzles, even more fun because somehow mathematical discoveries are more fundamental — solutions to puzzles made by God, if you will, not by man,” Tate said. “But, God doesn’t give you the puzzle.”

Despite his impressive professional achievements, Tate said his greatest personal accomplishment does not relate to his strides made in math. When asked to choose, he said, “Both of my parents died young.  I never thought I would live to be 85.  In this I have succeeded.”

Tate currently resides in Cambridge, Mass. with his wife, where he keeps his mind and body active by hiking in the mountains and studying math and reading. He will attend the award ceremony on May 25 in Oslo, Norway with a substantial group of family and colleagues. He said his wife, three daughters and their husbands, five grandchildren and a cousin-in-law will accompany him to the event. The Chair of Mathematics at UT Austin Bill Beckner will also attend the ceremony.

Although the award carries a generous cash reward, Tate does not seem to dwell on the financial prize. When asked what he plans to do with such a heavy purse, he said, “It’s too early. No plans yet.”