January 2023 \ Editor's Desk \ Editor’s Desk
Editor’s Desk

Of the 106 Padma Awards announced on the eve of Republic Day 2023 two went to members of the Indian diaspora, both in the category of Science and Engineering. While US-based Srinivas Varadhan has received the Padma Vibhushan that is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Canada-based Sujatha Ramdorai has been honored with the Padma Shri for distinguished service in her field...

By Sayantan Chakravarty
  • Sayantan Chakravarty
Of the 106 Padma Awards announced on the eve of Republic Day 2023 two went to members of the Indian diaspora, both in the category of Science and Engineering. While US-based Srinivas Varadhan has received the Padma Vibhushan that is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Canada-based Sujatha Ramdorai has been honored with the Padma Shri for distinguished service in her field. 
 
Professor Vardhan is a highly decorated mathematician. He is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2008, the National Medal of Science (presented by the US President on the recommendation of a 12-member presidential committee) in 2010, the Abel Prize (awarded by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, on behalf of the Ministry of Education in Norway) in 2007, and the Leroy P. Steele Prize (awarded by the American Mathematical Society for distinguished research work and writing in the field of mathematics) in 1996.
 
At the website of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences in New York University where he has taught since 1963, Dr Varadhan has this to say about his professional life: “I am interested in probability theory and its relation to analysis. In particular I am interested in various aspects of stochastic processes and their connections to certain classes of linear and nonlinear partial differential equations.”
 
Sujatha Ramdorai is professor of mathematics at the Canada Research Chair at The University of British Columbia (UBC). An algebraic number theorist, this is how she describes her work on the UBC website: “My initial area of research was the algebraic theory of quadratic forms. Currently, I work in the area of non-commutative Iwasawa theory. My research interests also include the study of motives.”
 
She is the first Indian to win the prestigious International Centre for Theoretical Physics Ramanujan Prize in 2006 and also a winner of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 2004. She is also the recipient of the 2020 Krieger-Nelson Prize for her exceptional contributions to mathematics research.
 
Having served at the National Knowledge Commission from 2007-2009, Dr Ramdorai is currently a Member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India and a Member of the National Innovation Council. At the start of her career, she was a professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai from where she did her Ph.D in the area of quadratic forms over function fields and Witt rings of varieties.
 
There are many other stories of interest in this issue. Happy reading.
 

Sayantan Chakravarty

sayantanc@gmail.com




Related News.
Comments.