Burt Totaro is a mathematician who specialises in the interaction between algebraic geometry and algebraic topology. His work has influenced a large group of algebraic geometers to use deeper topological methods in their work, and his ideas have led to unexpected benefits in a wide range of other mathematical fields.
He is motivated by a major unsolved problem in algebraic geometry, the Hodge conjecture, and is working to uncover the fundamental topological structure of algebraic geometry. Each step taken so far has revealed the solution to a well-known problem in algebraic geometry and demonstrated that progress towards the Hodge conjecture is likely to be made through the application of topology.
A gifted mathematician since childhood, Burt enrolled at Princeton University at the age of 13. He was awarded the London Mathematical Society’s Whitehead Prize in 2000 and the received the 2001 Prix Franco–Britannique, jointly awarded by the Académie des Sciences and the Royal Society.
Professional position
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles
Subject groups
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Mathematics
Pure mathematics
