Winning the Fields Medal (with James Maynard) - Numberphile

Longer version at: • Winning the Fields Med... --- See brilliant.org/numberphile for Brilliant and 20% off their premium service & 30-day trial (episode sponsor)
More links & stuff in full description below ↓↓↓
Full 2022 Fields Medal Winners: www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/...
See our Fields Medal Playlist: bit.ly/Fields_Playlist
More James Maynard videos: bit.ly/JamesMaynard
James Maynard: www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/peo...
Some images and video courtesy of the International Mathematical Union. And some photos by Jussi Rekiaro/Unigrafia used with permission.
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[@andresfontalvo17]

Imagine having your first kid and being awarded a Fields medal on the same week. What a week!

[@verity3616]

He phrased this so oddly, "his first son," that I'm wondering if it wasn't his first child, but was... just his first *son* to be born. As in, he has at least one daughter already? Would be interested if someone could confirm.

[@andresfontalvo17]

@@verity3616 someone like google or wikipedia?

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

@@verity3616 According to Wikipedia: _Maynard was born on 10 June 1987 in Chelmsford, England.[1] His partner is Eleanor Grant, a medical doctor. They have a child.[4]_ Citation [4] there is "Klarreich, Erica (June 2022). "A Solver of the Hardest Easy Problems About Prime Numbers". Quanta Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022." The interview it links to reads *He and his partner, Eleanor Grant, are expecting the birth of their first child within a few days, allowing Maynard just enough time for a quick visit to Helsinki.* Which is clearly the same kid he's talking about here.

[@archimidis]

Imagine how underwhelming the following weeks would be...

[@cheshire1]

@@archimidis they would be super stressful because you're caring for a newborn.

[@pyr0digm]

The first Fields Medal was awarded in 1936, 87 years ago and now goes to James Maynard at 36, born in 1987.

[@maxonmendel5757]

whoa thats cool

[@n0tthemessiah]

It's kismet!

[@columbus8myhw]

From this we learn the important theorem that 1936+87 = 1987+36

[@maxonmendel5757]

@@Dayanto i found my nomination for next season.

[@cheeseburgermonkey7104]

SYMMETRY

[@lashamartashvili]

James has found the best usage for his Fileds Medal. It's made of noble metal, it's anti-bacterial and it's too big to be swallowed, so it makes a perfect toy for infants.

[@Trixex]

Wouldn't want my baby to bite on it tho

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Also, a baby holding a Fields Medal is one of the most adorable images ever created.

[@highviewbarbell]

​@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721the winners keep getting younger, I tell ya.

[@IceMetalPunk]

@@highviewbarbell Well, they can't be over 40, so they may as well be under 1! 😁

[@erniesulovic4734]

LOL

[@alexkalish8288]

This is the kind of guy who wins the Medal, for research on a subject that really great mathematicians have been exploring for 500+ years. Bravo James ...

[@leif1075]

Who says we can't do the same thing he did?

[@kkgt6591]

​@@leif1075your math grades.

[@hansolo9892]

@@kkgt6591 😂😂🤣🤣

[@leif1075]

@@kkgt6591 My math grades were great..Why would you assume they weren't or anything else without knowing anything about me?

[@kuzuthunder1964]

@@leif1075Don’t take it seriously dude, its just trolling. Grades have nothing to do with being groundbreaking in a field anyway.

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

Hopefully he can parlay this into a bigger office - dude clearly deserves another whiteboard!

[@gregkrekelberg4632]

@deletereddit1102 Until they get wind of being recruited to a competing university. Then things tend to change rapidly.

[@IceMetalPunk]

A tiny little whiteboard for his son to work next to him 😁

[@christophersmith108]

It’s virtually a universal truth that any mathematician (or theoretical physicist) of the first order will *always* have all the whiteboard/blackboard space available to them crowded to incomprehensibility. If they have to share this space any empty gaps will have been filled with the comment “DO NOT ERASE”

[@geometerfpv2804]

​​@deletereddit1102Uh...yeah they do. He has his pick of institution. Universities care much more about research than they do about teaching. Research is their primary mission. They promote and hire based on research, and this is as prestigious a research award as you can get.

[@anuj-mn5eo]

At Oxford University this is considered a palatial office.

[@grev.]

can't believe i didn't hear about this until now, one of the best numberphile contributors

[@shasan2393]

I feel like a math hipster now lol. "yeah, i was familiar with James Maynard BEFORE he won the fields medal"

[@ragnkja]

@@shasan2393 What’s with the misnaming?

[@shasan2393]

@@ragnkja Woops, sorry mistyped his name. Just goes to show how much I was familiar with him lol

[@jsheradin]

He's also now a Fellow of the Royal Society! Can't wait to see what his future work has in store.

[@andrewfarrar741]

​@@jsheradinHave you heard about the Reimann solution yet? 2023 年 8 月 16 日.

[@ares395]

Imagine winning the most famous award in your field and the next day you go back your first son is born. I'm surprised he didn't pass out from all the emotions.

[@highviewbarbell]

Well that's why he's so chill in interviews. He ran out of high evergy emotion juice during that week and now his maximum excited state is a bit lower

[@cmu6443]

implies second son was born?

[@ares395]

@@cmu6443 That's not at all how English works.

[@thedanielstraight]

I could listen to this guy talk for at least an eon or two... Congrats on this achievement, sir! 👑

[@Xoque551]

So happy for you James, and for the journey to be brilliantly documented by Numberphile! Such a dream come true! :)

[@loebie]

Imagine being born and one of the first thing handed to you is a Fields Medal

[@javen9693]

For his playful yet elegant proof of the drooling conjecture and his stunning expansions in the field of diaperometry

[@Perriax]

What an achievement! Congratulations!!

[@datamoon]

Congratulations!

[@KazimirQ7G]

Congratulations, Mr. Maynard! I'm proud of you, and love the way you explain your maths. Thank you for your contributions here in this channel. ♥

[@plusunim]

Most sincere CONGRATULATIONS!! 🥳

[@dylanrambow2704]

It's absolutely beautiful to hear James's enthusiasm and glee.

[@SoopaPop]

13:42 photographic evidence of world record fields medal speedrun. run time: less than 1 day

[@user-sb4ev1jf8g]

"Most mathematicians are really motivated by mathematics" Congratulations James!!!. congratulations to james! he is crazy genius, humble and certainly deserved it.

[@nozua]

4:55 I was super hyped to see June Huh among the winners! He was an amazing expositor in the "g-conjecture" video, which is one of my favorite Numberphile videos.

[@gyubok]

congratulations James!

[@chompin_cheddar]

Congratulations on your new addition to the family! The Fields Medal is cool too I guess.

[@JM-us3fr]

I love how at 4:52 James Maynard is the only one smiling. Everyone else is like "Let's get this over with so I can go back to researching"

[@ImaginaryMdA]

I don't think you can blame Ukranian mathematician Maryna Viazovska at that particular time.

[@holliswilliams8426]

Viazovska was going through difficult times and had young colleagues and students who died during the Russia-Ukraine war.

[@TomRocksMaths]

Mans got skills.

[@joseffbokobza6640]

I love this style of video. Interviewing mathematicians is really tickling my anthropology bone

[@ShayWestrip]

Big congrats🎉 love Maynard vids

[@ggurunadha]

Congrats!!

[@Dat_Thing88]

Congratulations fr!

[@tatertot4810]

Congratulations sir!

[@skyless7304]

Congratulations what a joyous news, well deserved😊. Legend!

[@trevinbeattie4888]

Congratulations James! 😊🎉

[@sander_bouwhuis]

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations James!!! Surreal to have seen videos with you over the years, and there you are, winning such a prestigious price!

[@bernardcrnkovic3769]

congratulations to james! he is crazy genius, humble and certainly deserved it

[@ShinyShinyIsAlwaysBeingSerious]

I don't think I'll ever be able to understand the work that's gone into the achievement, but I do have an idea of the magnitude of the achievement, congratulations!

[@Beny123]

I can safely say working like crazy for 20+ years and being lucky enough to be born in a place and time to have great tutors/parents .

[@Bethos1247-Arne]

Ah, he. Remember some videos on this channel. This is a great honor for him. I am happy for him. And like to thank him for his contribution to the most beautiful science of all.

[@varijavishwanath8253]

Congratulations 👏👏

[@svenhoek]

Congrats MJK !!!

[@vincentbutton5926]

"Most mathematicians are really motivated by mathematics" ❤ Congratulations James!!!

[@UbiquitousBooks]

Something tells me that if you prove the Rieman hypothesis at age 41 then not winning the fields medal isn't going to hold you back too much…

[@thej3799]

😂

[@andrewcgs]

Andrew Wiles couldn't be awarded the Fields medal for proving Fermat's Last Theorem because he was 41, but he was awarded a special prize (a silver plaque)

[@shanggosteen9804]

@@andrewcgs Andrew wiles was awarded the abel prize, and a slew of other prizes. But I'm sure in his heart the best prize was being able to solve his childhood dream

[@ashkara8652]

So happy for him! Wish I knew sooner, what an achievement!

[@MoosesValley]

Congratulations James !

[@andrewclifton9772]

James Maynard is one of my favorites on Numberphile but I missed this and have only just found he won the Fields. Well done James. Loved the Birth Year Mod 4 comment.

[@carltonleboss]

Congrats!

[@Vares65]

Oh wow! That's really exciting! Congrats!

[@jseden1]

What a joy, congrats xx

[@desktop2815]

Dang new speed run champion for Fields Medal. Nice job

[@plbyrne]

This is awesome. Congratulations.

[@geoffreykeane4072]

Great interview

[@captnmaico6776]

Great interview, James is not only incredible smart, but also humble and has a catching laugh.

[@johnchessant3012]

12:06 I was discussing this with a friend and we agreed that the optimal time for a kid to be born is around September of a 2 (mod 4) year: they'd turn 40 right after the last Fields Medal they're eligible for, and they'd turn 18 right before the first US presidential election they're eligible for

[@IceMetalPunk]

... I was born in September 1990. I guess I have a lot of work to do over the next 6-years-and-1-month 😂

[@andrewfarrar741]

@@IceMetalPunk The spirit of an atomic ninja already exists inside you. ⚛️🥷

[@fahrenheit2101]

Provided you're a politically motivated mathematician

[@President__Job]

Funny how i was born September 2002 I am a math major and my last name means "presedent" in my language

[@CollinHeist20]

Super cool to see a talented person rewarded for their hard work!

[@holliswilliams8426]

i agree

[@faithgrins]

And for his work on Diaphantine approximations, at that! Congratulations, James! Hard-earned but well-earned.

[@ziedjbeli4811]

Congratulations on this major achievement, sir 💯

[@Datamining101]

They should totally provide you with two medals... the truly valuable one and a plated one for display.

[@PopeLando]

"You're out of luck if you solve Riemann when you're 41. But if you were born just one year earlier..." ~Prize-winning mathematician! 😂

[@alfonsolarcinese8926]

Age discrimination is everywhere...

[@alfonsolarcinese8926]

However I truly congratulate this guy anyway!

[@JohnDlugosz]

Well, there is a different prize you'd get, specific for a list of problems that includes the Riemann conjecture. I think the prize is a million dollars.

[@ben_clifford]

I love that no one in the comments got your joke. He should have said "one year later." We have a term for this in software. This is a version of the off-by-one error (this leads to being off by 2, but they all get lumped together).

[@terencetsang9518]

Jokes aside, this again dispels the somewhat common misconception that one's proficiency in mental arithmetics is meaningfully correlated with one's ability to apply, advance, or even invent math.

[@recklessroges]

Congratz Maynard. I look forward to what you discover next.

[@randomname285]

Great contributor! Congrats to him!

[@lafcursiax]

Awww, Fields baby! Double congratulations to James!

[@Bruh_Idk]

This was so cool. James seems like such a chill guy, wish I had him as a lecturer in uni hahhah.

[@nutsnproud6932]

Well done!

[@evilotis01]

omg congratulations!!!

[@raybo780]

James is awesome, so happy for him

[@donaldasayers]

Congratulations to James.

[@sran2007]

Congratulations 🎉🎉

[@rajeshrai5208]

He seems to exemplify the joy of pursuing math! Congratulations, James Maynard!

[@CombatLegsVIDS]

13:40 COULD THERE HAVE BEEN A MORE PERFECT PICTURE!?🥳💐 Congratulations on your 2 achievements, Mr. James Maynard. God bless you and your family. 🙏

[@spinity8468]

James, you are very charismatic! I like to see you talking. Thanks for this video!

[@ehfik]

wow, congratulations!

[@mandeepsahni2279]

Congratulations🎉🎉

[@bbok1616]

So inspiring

[@artswri]

Congratulations to a winner!

[@pacolibre5411]

Congratulations to Maynard James Keenan for winning the Fields Medal for his work with the Fibonacci sequence!

[@mdmn-ARCA]

Danny Carey was robbed!

[@ragnkja]

What’s with the misnaming?

[@blower5]

@@ragnkja math guy sound like tool guy

[@ragnkja]

@@blower5 And?

[@aksldfoityawiejfsdnfakldjfxcoi]

And for his work with parabolas on Lateralus

[@boredgrass]

The best shot of the Field Medal, ever❤️

[@drorbitaldeathray]

Congratulations James! The picture of his son with the medal was so cute I had to screenshot it and send it to my wife 😆

[@michael4192]

You gotta bring this guy on more often with more number theory

[@weetabixharry]

This is the first time I have heard of the medal winner before they won the Fields medal. All thanks to Numberfile.

[@Labben91]

By definition it can't be the "nobel" prize of mathematics when it has an age limit to it.

[@Sound557]

Take a bow, congratulations

[@ultraL2]

congrats

[@TheGmr140]

Congrats on the fields medal 😊😊

[@JackDespero]

What a week for this man: Winning the Fields medal AND assisting to the birth of your first child. I am so happy for him.

[@jesperdj]

Congratulations James Maynard 🎉🏅

[@gregorysanders9034]

Congratulations

[@minafolco1785]

Congratulazioni 🏅

[@alexe3332]

Good job mate🥇

[@qwkimball]

I love the fact that one of the world's finest working mathematicians has apparently quite recently run into the edge of an open door.

[@satyajeetprabhu]

What a guy... 3 time Formula 1 champion and now a fields medal!

[@haggaisimon7748]

I used to be fascinated by Nobel prizes and Fields medal. Not anymore.

[@frankharr9466]

Congratulations to him.

[@calmeilles]

After all the years that you have been doing these it really is time you learned to hold a camera steady.

[@lucabausani5414]

Congratulazioni!

[@IrishEye]

Loved the Mod4 comment, spoken like a true mathematician.

[@John-pn4rt]

possibly even more exciting for him he was the subject of a question on this week's (31 July 2023) heat of University Challenge!

[@barmouthbridge8772]

Love this guy on here. Numberphile through Brady has introduced us to so many likeable affable clever folk. I've made a list of my favourites which certainly isn't exhaustive. Holly Krieger, Hannah Fry, Zvezdelina Stankova, David Eisenbud, Ron Graham, Edward Frenkel. Who was your favourite and what distinguished them in your eyes?

[@pezboy715]

5:11 Maryna - “I can’t believe I have to sit here and accept this stupid award when I could be doing maths….”

[@eonasjohn]

Congratulations.

[@jonathandeleyser1782]

Great questions

[@stavroschiras8080]

Gongratulations!!

[@davidnelson4960]

I'll know I'm in the right time and country when men like Maynard are our Rockstars and heroes.

[@MrMikeEdie]

Congrats

[@kevinn1158]

I'll guess that your son was a bigger reward... And now you have a project in creating a great human being now. congrats on both.

[@umlooad]

Bravo James Maynard