Last Updated: 02 Apr, 2023 | Views: 77
Age: 72
Profession: Scientist
Other Profession(s): Mathematician
Famous For: Work on the continuum hypothesis
Higher Education: University of Chicago (MS, Ph.D)
About (Profile/Biography)
Paul Cohen was the known mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics. He is best known for his work on the continuum hypothesis, a problem in set theory that had stumped mathematicians for decades. In 1963, Cohen published a proof that the hypothesis was undecidable, meaning that it could not be proven true or false within the existing axioms of mathematics. For his groundbreaking work, he was awarded the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics, in 1966.
Paul Cohen Education:
City College of New York, where he earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics in 1954.
University of Chicago, where he received his master's degree in mathematics in 1956.
University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1958.
Paul Cohen Career:
1953-1954: Cohen was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
1954-1955: Cohen was an instructor at the University of Rochester.
1955-1956: Cohen was an assistant professor at Stanford University.
1956-1958: Cohen was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
1958-1962: Cohen was an associate professor at the University of Rochester.
1962-1964: Cohen was a professor at Brandeis University.
1964-2002: Cohen was a professor at Stanford University.
1963: Cohen was awarded the American Mathematical Society's Cole Prize for his work on set theory.
1966: Cohen was awarded the Fields Medal, one of the highest honors in mathematics, for his work on the continuum hypothesis.
1999: Cohen was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Bill Clinton for his contributions to mathematics.
Paul Cohen Awards:
Fields Medal:In 1966
National Medal of Science: In 1969
Cole Prize in Algebra: In 1964
Leroy P. Steele Prize: In 1985
Wolf Prize: In 1981