Ilya Piatetski-Shapiro

Article by: J J O'Connor and E F Robertson

Ilya Piatetski-Shapiro (Hebrew: איליה פיאטצקי-שפירו; Russian: Илья́ Ио́сифович Пяте́цкий-Шапи́ро) (30 March 1929 – 21 February 2009) was a Russian-Jewish-Israeli mathematician. During a career that spanned 60 years he made major contributions to applied science as well as theoretical mathematics. In the last forty years his research focused on pure mathematics; in particular, analytic number theory, group representations and algebraic geometry. His main contribution and impact was in the area of automorphic forms and L-functions.

For the last 30 years of his life he suffered from Parkinson's disease. However, with the help of his wife Edith, he was able to continue to work and do mathematics at the highest level, even when he was barely able to walk and speak.

Awards and honors

Piatetski-Shapiro was elected to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in 1978, and was the recipient of numerous prizes, including:

• In 1981, the Israel Prize, for mathematics;
• In 1990, the Wolf Prize for Mathematics.
• He was invited to address the quadrennial International Mathematical Congress — one of the highest mathematical honors — 4 times: 1962, 1966 (gave plenary address), 1978 (presented 45 minute talk), and 2002.

איליה פיאטצקי-שפירו (30 במרץ 1929 - 21 בפברואר 2009), פרופסור למתמטיקה וחתן פרס ישראל בתחום לשנת 1981