Robert P. Langlands headshot

Robert P. Langlands

Professor Emeritus
School of Mathematics

Number Theory

Affiliation

Mathematics

Home Institution

Institute for Advanced Study

Robert Langlands’s profound insights in number theory and representation theory include the formulation of general principles relating automorphic forms and algebraic number theory; the introduction of a general class of L-functions; the construction of a general theory of Eisenstein series; the introduction of techniques for dealing with particular cases of the Artin conjecture (which proved to be of use in the proof of Fermat’s theorem); the introduction of endoscopy; and the development of techniques for relating the zeta functions of Shimura varieties to automorphic L-functions. Mathematicians have been working on his conjectures, the Langlands Program, for the last three decades. He spent a good deal of time in the late eighties and nineties and with some success studying lattice models of statistical physics and the attendant conformal invariance. In recent years, he has been preoccupied by the geometric theory of automorphic forms. He has only now reached the stage at which he can contemplate publication.

Abel Prize, 2018
Wolf Prize, 1995

For a selection of works authored by Langlands, visit http://publications.ias.edu/rpl.

Dates at IAS

Emeritus
School of Mathematics
Faculty
School of Mathematics
Member
School of Mathematics

Degrees

Yale University
Ph.D.
1960
The University of British Columbia
M.A.
1958
The University of British Columbia
A.B.
1957

Honors

American Mathematical Society, Fellow
Canadian Mathematical Society, Member
Companion of the Order of Canada
London Mathematical Society, Honorary Member
National Academy of Sciences, Member
Royal Society of Canada, Member
Royal Society of London, Fellow
Russian Academy of Sciences, Foreign Member
Science Academy Society (Turkey), Foreign Honorary Member
2018
Abel Prize
1995
Wolf Prize

Appointments

Yale University
1967–1972
Professor
Princeton University
1960–1967
Assistant Professor–Associate Professor 1962–67, Lecturer 1961–62, Instructor 1960–61