The BBVA Foundation recognizes six promising young mathematicians pursuing their careers in Spain.

The Royal Spanish Mathematical Society (RSME) and the BBVA Foundation have honored six young scientists with the eleventh Vicent Caselles Awards . The awards, worth 6,000 euros each, recognize highly original and in-depth work in the field of pure mathematics, much of which could have future applications in fields such as theoretical physics, biology, materials science, and computer science.

Since their creation in 2015, these awards, aimed at researchers under 30 years of age associated with Spanish centers, seek to stimulate emerging talent in mathematics. They are named after Vicent Caselles, one of the most influential Spanish mathematicians of recent decades.

Among this year's winners is Izar Alonso Lorenzo (Madrid, 1996), a professor at Rutgers University (USA), whose research in differential geometry seeks to understand structures in spaces with more than six dimensions, which is of great interest both mathematically and in theoretical physics, especially within the framework of string theory.

Raúl Alonso Rodríguez (Vigo, 1996), currently at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has also been recognized. A specialist in algebraic number theory, his work is linked to one of the great open problems in mathematics: the Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, one of the "Millennium Problems."

Juan Muñoz Echániz (London, 1996), professor at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics (Stony Brook University), investigates symmetries in complex topological spaces. His results have challenged established postulates in the field of contact manifolds, revealing unsuspected phenomena in geometry and topology.

From CEU San Pablo University, Eduardo Tablate Vila (Madrid, 1997) has been distinguished for his work in harmonic analysis and operator algebras, an area that connects pure mathematics with applications in quantum physics and information theory.

Rubén Medina Sabino (Pamplona, ​​1997), professor at the Public University of Navarra, has made relevant contributions in functional analysis and optimization in infinite-dimensional spaces, with possible applications in sectors such as aerospace engineering.

The sixth award winner, Clara Torres Latorre (Valencia, 1997), a researcher at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT), has focused her work on partial differential equations, with particular attention to models that describe physical phenomena such as the melting of ice. Her research offers mathematical tools for analyzing the accuracy of numerical simulations in multiple disciplines.

In addition, the RSME has awarded the José Luis Rubio de Francia Prize to Guillem Blanco Fernández (Barcelona, ​​1992), currently at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), for his outstanding career in the study of algebraic singularities. This award, intended for researchers under 32 years of age, includes an additional grant of €35,000 over three years to support their research.

Blanco emphasizes the importance of fundamental mathematical knowledge, even when its applications are not immediate. "GPS, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity would be impossible without mathematical theories developed half a century ago," he says.

The alliance between the BBVA Foundation and the RSME is part of a broader strategy to promote science in Spain. Along with the Vicent Caselles and José Luis Rubio de Francia scientific societies, the foundation also collaborates with other scientific societies, such as the Physics (RSEF), Computer Science (SCIE), and Statistics (SEIO), in recognizing research talent.

The jury for the Vicent Caselles Awards was chaired by María Ángeles Hernández Cifre, professor at the University of Murcia, and comprised of experts from various Spanish universities, who praised the high level of the nominees in this edition.