Mozart of Mathematics
Have you ever thought of a kid aged just 2 reading books? Such kids are rare but do exist. Terence Tao is arguably the smartest mathematician alive. He showed his excellence and vibrancy at a very tender age. At just 9, he was able to figure out university-level mathematics, being fond of puzzles and mathematics problems, always trying to find out solutions.
By the age of ten, he was smart enough to score perfectly in an exam meant for high school students. This instance proved that the kid was exceptional in mathematics and could have a great career in mathematics.
The turning point that boosted the mathematical genius in him was meeting Paul Erdos, a giant mathematician of that time. Erdos gave him a set of problems, and Terence solved most of them. Erdos was convinced that he was going to do great in mathematics, and he even recommended him to Princeton.
Terence earned his PhD from Princeton at the age of 21 under Elias Stein with the thesis titled Three Regularity Results in Harmonic Analysis.
He joined the University of California as a Professor at the age of 24. His research spans numerous areas of mathematics like harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, random matrices, and analytical number theory.
He has been involved in cutting-edge problems in mathematics and computational analysis. He received the 2006 Fields Medal in mathematics. In collaboration with Ben Green, he proved the Tao-Green theorem and resolved the Erdos discrepancy problem, and it may pave the way for solving the Collatz conjecture.
Terence Tao is an artist thinking in a mathematical way. He not only loves mathematics but lives mathematics. He has been titled the “Problem Solver’s Problem Solver.”
No matter what titles are given to him, he is a genius no doubt, but he once said, “Hard work and curiosity matter more than talent.”
So, Terence teaches us that what you love should be learned.
Madiha Gowher
The writer is a student of Class 12th. She is a keen observer. Her silence finds ways through words. Pursuing sciences as a discipline, Madiha loves to write.
She can be reached at @madihagowher2230@gmail.com
