Dr. Manjul Bhargava, R. Brandon Fradd Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and member of the International Advisory Board of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences – TIFR, has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of London.
“Manjul is one of the world’s most remarkable mathematicians who has continually astonished the mathematical community with his amazing results. He has also been one of ICTS’ staunchest pillars of support and an ambassador for the Institute. We were privileged to host him at ICTS for much of the academic year of 2017-2018 while he was on sabbatical in India working on the National Education Policy,” said Dr. Rajesh Gopakumar, Centre Director, ICTS.
For his fundamental contributions to mathematics Bhargava was awarded the prestigious Field’s Medal in 2014 besides many other recognitions including the 2012 Infosys Prize and the membership of the National Academy of Sciences, USA in 2013.
"Manjul is an outstanding mathematician of our times. In ground breaking research, he visualized Gauss’s composition law for quadratic forms while playing with a Rubik’s cube and generalized it to polynomials of higher degree! He is also one of the finest expositors of mathematics in the world today and can explain deep and subtle concepts in a unique way, A mathematician of a rare kind, Bhargava combines music, poetry, games and mathematics as seamless and interwoven knowledge,” observed Dr. Spenta Wadia, Founding Director, ICTS.
The ICTS connection
Dr. Wadia recalls how during ICTS’ early years, when the Institute was working out of TIFR Mumbai, Dr. Bhargava walked into his office to learn more about the ICTS mission and decided instantly to be associated as a member of its International Advisory Board. “Over the years, Manjul Bhargava has provided exceptional and dedicated support to ICTS and contributed at various levels to enhance its work. His deep and accurate knowledge of Sanskrit, Indian traditions and culture, have enabled him to contribute very significantly to India’s National Education Policy (NEP),” says Dr. Wadia. In 2018, Bhargava took unpaid leave from Princeton University to be a part of a small team working on the NEP at ICTS. “Watching the endless hours, he spent on the draft, one could not help but be moved by his commitment, perseverance and humility," remarks Dr. Wadia.