Origins & Early Life

Artur Avila Cordeiro de Melo (Brazilian Portuguese: [aʁˈtuʁ ˈavilɐ koʁˈde(j)ɾu dʒi ˈmɛlu]; born 29 June 1979) is a Brazilian and naturalized French mathematician working primarily in the fields of dynamical systems and spectral theory. He is one of the winners of the 2014 Fields Medal, being the first Latin American and lusophone to win such award. He has been a researcher at both the IMPA and the CNRS (working a half-year in each one). He has been a professor at the University of Zurich since September 2018.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

At the age of 16, Avila won a gold medal at the 1995 International Mathematical Olympiad and received a scholarship for the Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) to start an M.S. degree while still attending high school in Colégio de São Bento and Colégio Santo Agostinho in Rio de Janeiro. He completed his M.S. degree in 1997. Later he enrolled in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), earning his B.S in mathematics.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

At the age of 19, Avila began writing his doctoral thesis on the theory of dynamical systems. In 2001 he finished it and received his PhD from IMPA. That same year he moved abroad to France to do postdoctoral research. He...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. Philip Randolph — Contemporary (Died in 1979) (1979): Pioneer labor unionist and civil rights activist who fought for racial equality.
• Aaliyah — Contemporary (Born in 1979) (1979): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• Aaron Paul — Contemporary (Born in 1979) (1979): American actor, renowned for portraying Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad.
• Alan Arkin — Shared historical date (06-29 · Died) (2023): Esteemed American actor, filmmaker, and musician with a seven-decade career.
• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry — Shared historical date (06-29 · Born) (1900): French writer, poet, and aviator whose works blended adventure with profound humanism.
• Abdul-Malik al-Houthi — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): Yemeni religious leader and second principal figure of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah).
• Adam Brody — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): American actor known for roles in The O.C., Shazam!, and StartUp.
• 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Historical peer (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
• Alain Resnais — Historical peer (Died in 2014) (2014): Pioneering French filmmaker exploring memory, consciousness, and narrative structure.
• Aaron Klug — Historical peer (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering biophysicist known for crystallographic electron microscopy and nucleic acid structure.
• 1979 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1979
• June 29 (06-29) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 29