The SASTRA-Ramanujan award 2011, instituted by Shanmugha Arts Science Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) University, was presented on Thursday here to Roman Holowinsky, Mathematician from Ohio State University, USA, at a function held here on Thursday.
The award was presented for his “spectacular work in analytic number theory and the theory of modular forms – contributions that have significant implications in a broad range of areas in mathematics and even in physics”.
R. Kannan, Secretary, Higher Education Department, presented the award to Mr. Holowinsky at the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of the genius mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan at the the Srinivasa Ramanujan centre of the university here. R. Sethuraman, Vice-Chancellor of SASTRA University, was present.
Krishnaswamy Alladi, Chairman of the SASTRA-Ramanujan Award Committee and Professor at University of Florida said the SASTRA-Ramanujan award had become one of the prestigious mathematics prizes in the world.
Mr. Holowinsky pursued some connection of Quantum Unique Ergodicity (QUE) conjecture with mathematics and physics. The award recognises Holowinsky's seminal paper with Prof. Kannan Soundarajan in the Annals of Mathematics in 2010, which resolved the QUE Conjecture of Zeev Rudnick and Peter Sarnak in the important case of holomorphic forms.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kannan said Ramanujan achieved great things in the field of mathematics at a very young age. He said SASTRA University had bridged the Orient and the Occident by instituting the award.
S. Vaidhya Subramanian, Dean, Planning and Development, SASTRA University, said the SASTRA-Ramanujan award was established in 2005 to honour outstanding contributions by very young mathematicians to areas influenced by the genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. The age limit has been set at 32 because Ramanujan achieved so much in his brief life of 32 years. To celebrate 125th birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan, SASTRA University announced various new schemes. They include SASTRA-Ramanujan Research scholarship. It is awarded to postgraduates to pursue Ph.D in the areas influenced by Ramanujan. The Ph.D scholar would be awarded a monthly stipend of Rs 12,000 to Rs 16,000 for four years. Scholars will be selected based on a competitive process. The university is planning to conduct special lecture talks throughout the year inviting eminent researchers from all over the country as part of SASTRA-Ramanujan lecture series.
The SASTRA-Ramanujan Quiz Whiz carries a cash award of Rs. 1 lakh for the team that wins the National Level Quiz on Ramanujan and Mathematics. This quiz competition is open to all school students in the age group between 10 and 18. Top six teams selected from the various regional prelims will be invited to the Srinivasa Ramanujan centre in Kumbakonam for the grand finals to be held during the valedictory function of the 125th year anniversary celebrations in December 2012.
