Sir Andrew John Wiles
(1953-), Professor of MathematicsSitter in 2 portraits
Wiles' work caught the public imagination in 1993 when he announced a proof for a celebrated problem that had baffled mathematicians for centuries, 'Fermat's last theorem'. The idea had captivated him as a child, but it was not until 1995 that he published the proof in the form of sophisticated algebraic geometry in the Annals of Mathematics. Awarded the Wolfskehl Prize, set up in 1905 for solving precisely this problem, and numerous international prizes including the Shaw Prize, the Royal Society's Royal Medal and the Silver Plaque of the International Mathematical Union. Taught at Harvard and Princeton Universities and currently Royal Society Research Professor at the University of Oxford. Appointed Knight Commander in 2000.
Watch a film clip linked to a portrait of the sitter recorded for the Gallery in the Media section below
by Rupert Alexander
oil on canvas, 2015
NPG 6994
by Unknown photographer
colour print, 1990s
NPG x87245
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Jordan Levin
25 August 2016, 21:47
The description on the website is incorrect - Andrew Wiles did not win a Fields Medal. Instead, he won the IMU Silver Plaque as he was over the age limit of 40 for the Fields Medal