Every four years, the math worldβs preeminent awards are given to the finest minds of a generation. The young winners β all under 40 on the first day of the year β have reshaped mathematics and theoretical computer science. Here are their stories.
In theoretical computer science, the key to cracking tough problems is finding the right tools. Most researchers gravitate toward tools that match the problems they hope to solve, and some devote entire careers to mastering a few familiar techniques. But Shayan Oveis Gharan, a computer scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, has never been content with the familiar.