The Abel Prize Laureate 2024, Michel Talagrand, visits the University of Stavanger and gives an open lecture.
Abelprize winner Michel Talagrand speaks about his life work studying the mathematics of randomness that has had impact in a wide range of fields from business logistics to condensed-matter physics.
Upon receiving the 2024 Abel prize, Michel Talagrand said in an interview with the NewScientist magazine:
"Once you are in mathematics, and you start to understand how it works, it’s completely fascinating and it’s very attractive. There are all kinds of levels, you are an explorer. First, you have to understand what people before you did, and that’s pretty challenging, and then you are on your own to explore, and soon you love it. Of course, it is extremely frustrating at the same time. So you have to have the personality that you will accept to be frustrated."
Michel Talagrand was born with a deficiency in his retinas and lost his right eye when he was 5 years old. To escape the horror of losing his eyesight entirely ten years later, he studied hard and discovered his talent for mathematics and physics. Learn about his journey and the beautiful mathematics that came out of it in his presentation on UiS campus at 2 pm on May 24.
The lecture will be given in English.