National Science Foundation Alan T. Waterman Award

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Professor Gang Tian of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University, is the the 1994 and 19th recipient of the National Science Foundation's annual Alan T. Waterman Award. The award is presented to a promising scientist, no more than 35 years of age, who is judged by a selection committee, the Director of the Foundation and the National Science Board, to be in the forefront of his/her field. The award which has been given annually since 1976, is in commemoration of the Foundation's first director, Dr. Alan T. Waterman. Professor Tian's research area is complex differential geometry and the analysis of partial differential equations. Much of the deep and technically intricate work he has pursued has been motivated by several fundamental problems in mathematical physics related to Einstein's field equations and string theory. His accomplishments include the solution of the existence of Kaehler-Einstein metrics on complex surfaces, the proof that the moduli space of Kaehler- Einstein metrics with zero first Chern class is nonsingular, the proof of the stability of algebraic manifolds by using Kahler- Einstein metrics and the systematic study, with S.T. Yau, of Kaehler-Einstein metrics on the complements of divisors satisfying certain positivity conditions. More recently, his work on quantum cohomology and the `mirror symmetry' problem, is considered by physicists to be of fundamental importance in the advancement of string theory as a potential candidate for a unified theory of matter and of the universe. The award greatly encourages and brings much inspiration to such a developing scientist and to his peers. Professor Tian is poised to make further breakthroughs in his field and thus advancing mathematical and scientific knowledge generally. Already his contributions to mathematical physics are very substantial relative to the mission of interdisciplinary research as endorsed by the Foundation. Professor Tian will also be working w ith postdoctoral assistants and graduate students and in turn will be assisting in the development of the careers of his junior colleagues. Professor Tian's career as a research mathematician befits his recognition as a major contributor to the scientific infrastructure and cultural advancement of the United States.