Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics

Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics
Awarded foroutstanding contribution to mathematics research by a woman in the previous six years
Presented byAmerican Mathematical Society
Reward(s)$5,000
First awarded1991
Currently held byPanagiota Daskalopoulos and Nataša Šešum (2023)
Websitewww.ams.org/profession/prizes-awards/ams-prizes/satter-prize

The Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics, also called the Satter Prize, is one of twenty-one prizes given out by the American Mathematical Society (AMS).[1] It is presented biennially in recognition of an outstanding contribution to mathematics research by a woman in the previous six years.[2] The award was funded in 1990 using a donation from Joan Birman, in memory of her sister, Ruth Lyttle Satter,[3] who worked primarily in biological sciences, and was a proponent for equal opportunities for women in science.[4] First awarded in 1991, the award is intended to "honor [Satter's] commitment to research and to encourage women in science".[5] The winner is selected by the council of the AMS, based on the recommendation of a selection committee.[5] The prize is awarded at the Joint Mathematics Meetings during odd numbered years, and has always carried a modest cash reward. Since 2003, the prize has been $5,000,[5][6] while from 1997 to 2001, the prize came with $1,200,[7][8] and prior to that with $4,000.[9] If a joint award is made, the prize money is split between the recipients.[7]

Dusa McDuff was the first recipient of the award, for her work on symplectic geometry.[10] A joint award was made for the only time in 2001, when Karen E. Smith and Sijue Wu shared the award.[7] The 2013 prize winner was Maryam Mirzakhani, who, in 2014, was the first woman to be awarded the Fields Medal, which is considered to be the highest honor a mathematician can receive.[11][12] She won both awards for her work on "the geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces".[13] The most recent winners are Panagiota Daskalopoulos and Nataša Šešum, who were awarded the prize in 2023 "for groundbreaking work in the study of ancient solutions to geometric evolution equations".[14]

The Association for Women in Science have a similarly titled award, the Ruth Satter Memorial Award, which is a cash prize of $1,000 for "an outstanding graduate student who interrupted her education for at least 3 years to raise a family".[15][16]

  1. ^ "Prizes and Awards". American Mathematical Society. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  2. ^ "Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics". American Mathematical Society. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  3. ^ Case, Bettye; Leggett, Anne, eds. (2005). Complexities: Women in Mathematics. Princeton University Press. p. 97. ISBN 0-691-11462-5.
  4. ^ "Educational Awards: Ruth Satter". Association for Women in Science. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "2017 Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize" (PDF). Notices of the AMS. 64 (4). American Mathematical Society: 316. April 2017.
  6. ^ "2003 Satter Prize" (PDF). Notices of the AMS. 50 (4). American Mathematical Society: 474. April 2003.
  7. ^ a b c "2001 Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize" (PDF). Notices of the AMS. 48 (4). American Mathematical Society: 411–12. April 2001.
  8. ^ "1997 Satter Prize" (PDF). Notices of the AMS. 44 (3). American Mathematical Society: 348. March 1997.
  9. ^ "1995 Satter Prize" (PDF). Notices of the AMS. 42 (4). American Mathematical Society: 459. April 1995.
  10. ^ Morrow, Charlene; Peri, Teri, eds. (1998). Notable Women in Mathematics: A Biographical Dictionary. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 140. ISBN 0-313-29131-4.
  11. ^ "Reclusive Russian turns down math world's highest honour". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Associated Press. August 22, 2006. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  12. ^ "Maryam Mirzakhani, first woman to win maths' Fields Medal, dies". BBC News. July 15, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  13. ^ "Maryam Mirzakhani, First Woman and Iranian to Win Fields Medal, Dies at 40". The Wire. July 15, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  14. ^ "Daskalopoulos, Šešum to Receive 2023 Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize". American Mathematical Society. November 10, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  15. ^ "AAS Committee on the Status of Women". AASWOMEN. January 2004. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  16. ^ Austin, Ruth, ed. (1996). The Grants Register 1997. New York: Macmillan Press. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-312-15898-9.