Professor Mahesh Kakde of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, received the Ramanujan Prize 2026 for his contributions to algebraic number theory. The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU) announced the award on 30 September 2026; IISc announced it on 7 October 2026.
Ramanujan Prize
The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries has been awarded annually since 2005. ICTP and IMU jointly administer the prize, which carries a cash award of US$10,000. It is awarded to a researcher under 45 from a developing country for outstanding research conducted under difficult conditions in a developing country. A committee of mathematicians selects the recipient in consultation between the two administering organisations.
Mahesh Kakde’s research and education
Kakde’s research includes fundamental results in noncommutative Iwasawa theory and work on the Gross-Stark and Brumer-Stark conjectures. Algebraic number theory uses structures such as fields and groups to study integers and their generalisations. His research also has implications for Hilbert’s 12th problem, one of 23 mathematical problems presented by German mathematician David Hilbert in 1900.
Kakde completed a Bachelor of Mathematics at the Indian Statistical Institute in Bangalore. He earned a Master of Mathematics and a PhD in pure mathematics from the University of Cambridge, completing his doctorate in 2008. He joined IISc as a professor in 2019. His earlier distinctions include the Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences in 2022 and inclusion in the Asian Scientist 100 list in 2023.
Important Facts for Exams
- Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician who lived from 1887 to 1920.
- The International Mathematical Union is an international organisation for cooperation in mathematics.
- The Indian Statistical Institute was established in Kolkata in 1931 by statistician P. C. Mahalanobis.
- Hilbert presented his list of 23 mathematical problems at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris in 1900.
The Ramanujan Prize is intended for young mathematicians from developing countries and is awarded annually. Kakde’s recognised research areas include algebraic number theory and noncommutative Iwasawa theory.
