Sam Payne, professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded one of this year's two Max Planck-Humboldt Medals. The medal is financed by the German government and awarded jointly by the Max Planck Society and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Payne, who joined the UT Austin faculty this year, was recognized for his contributions in the field of tropical geometry, a relatively new field of mathematics which reduces complex shapes into simple stick drawings. The findings from tropical geometry influence many different areas, from solving optimization problems to studying mathematical physics.
Payne already researched at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics during a six-month guest visit. In addition to the medal, he will receive roughly $68,000 in prize money.
The Max Planck Society—an association of German research institutes that conduct basic research in the natural sciences, life sciences and humanities—is widely regarded as one of the foremost basic research organizations in the world.
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation was established by the German government to promote international academic cooperation between scientists and scholars from Germany and from abroad.
Read the official announcement (lower part of page): https://www.mpg.de/12407860/max-planck-humboldt-research-award-for-catherine-heymans
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