Abstract

As a special and (probably) much weaker form of the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, the Landau-Siegel zero problem has its own interest and amazing applications in number theory. In this talk Professor Zhang will introduce its history and applications. In particular, it will be explained why such a problem is important and difficult to solve. Some new attempts will be described.

In this talk, Professor Zhang will avoid technical details as possible so that it can be open to people who are not in the number theory major.

Speaker Bio

Professor Yitang Zhang

Professor of Department of Mathematics
University of California, Santa Barbara

Professor Yitang Zhang is currently the Professor of Department of Mathematics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He graduated from Peking University in 1982, then he became a graduate student of Professor Pan Chengbiao, a number theorist at Peking University, and obtained his master’s degree in mathematics in 1984. He was granted with a full scholarship at Purdue University and obtained his Ph.D. in 1991.

Professor Zhang joined the University of New Hampshire (UNH) as a lecture in 1999. He was appointed a full professorship by UNH for his breakthrough on the distribution of prime numbers. In 2015, he joined University of California, Santa Barbara with an offer of full professorship.

Professor Zhang was awarded the 2013 Morningside Special Achievement Award in Mathematics, the 2013 Ostrowski Prize, the 2014 Frank Nelson Cole Prize in Number Theory, the 2014 Rolf Schock Prize in Mathematics, and the 2016 QiuShi Distinguished Scientist Prize. He was a recipient of the 2014 MacArthur Award, and was elected as a Fellow of Academia Sinica. He was an invited speaker at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians.

Video

Photos