Contents
Cédric Villani
Winning the Fields Medal for work explaining how physical systems approach equilibrium.
Optimal transportation · Fields Medal
- Born
- 5 October 1973
- Birthplace
- Brive-la-Gaillarde, France
More people
Cédric Villani
Villani studies equations linking mathematics with the behaviour of gases and plasmas. He also became a public author and served in France’s National Assembly.
Early life
French education
Attended the Lycée Louis-le-Grand before entering the École normale supérieure in Paris.
Doctoral work
Completed his doctorate in 1998 under Pierre-Louis Lions.
Career
- 2000
Lyon professorship
Became a professor at the École normale supérieure de Lyon.
- 2009–2017
Institute director
Led the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris.
- 2017–2022
National Assembly
Served as a French member of parliament while retaining his public scientific role.
Contributions
Optimal transportation
Published a research text on finding efficient ways to move distributions of material.
Fields Medal
Recognised for work on the Boltzmann equation and nonlinear Landau damping.
Théorème vivant
Described the experience of mathematical discovery in the book translated as Birth of a Theorem.
Beyond mathematics
Public lectures
Explains mathematics through books, talks and appearances beyond specialist audiences.
Science and policy
Worked on scientific and technological questions during his parliamentary career.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and contributions ↗Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen. CC BY 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
