SASTRA Ramanujan awards presented to University of California mathematicians Yunqing Tang and Ruixiang Zhang

SASTRA-Ramanujan Awards presented to two mathematicians at UC Berkeley, celebrating the genius of Srinivasa Ramanujan & recognizing outstanding contributions in mathematics.

The SASTRA-Ramanujan Awards for 2022 and 2023 were presented, respectively, to Yunqing Tang and Ruixiang Zhang, both mathematicians at the University of California in Berkeley, at the SASTRA campus in Kumbakonam, on Friday, December 22, 2023.

Presenting the awards, T. Ramaswami, former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, paid glowing tributes to the genius of legendary Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, and highlighted the relevance of his contributions to the contemporary world.

The award, instituted by SASTRA in 2005, with a cash prize of USD 10,000 and a citation, is presented annually to individuals aged 32 and below, who have made outstanding contributions in the field of mathematics. The awards are presented on the birthday of Ramanujan.

The awardees delivered the Ramanujan birth anniversary commemorative lectures and thanked SASTRA for recognising their work in areas influenced by Ramanujan. Both were thrilled to visit the Ramanujan house in Kumbakonam that is being maintained by SASTRA, as well as the Ramanujan Museum.

The presentation of the awards marked the finale of the three-day international conference on Srinivasa Ramanujan, inaugurated by Krishnaswami Alladi, chair, SASTRA Ramanujan Prize Committee.

“The award is among the top awards for mathematics in the world and it is our pride,” said S. Swaminathan, Dean, SASTRA, in a press release. Seven of the SASTRA-Ramanujan Award winners have won the Fields Medal and other prestigious awards such as the Cole Award. Prof. Manjul Bhargava, winner of the first SASTRA-Ramanujan Award in 2005 won both the Fields Medal and the Cole Award subsequently, the press release said.