Terence Tao

Terence Tao - Scientists, Life Achievements and Facts

Violet FieldHome › AustralianTerence TaoJuly 17, 19751,661 views

0 based on 0 rates
Terence Tao Biography Stories 

Terence Tao's Personal Details

Terence Tao is an Australian- American mathematician who has contributed enormously to the field of mathematics

InformationDetail
BirthdayJuly 17, 1975
NationalityAustralian, American
FamousPrinceton University, University Of California, Los Angeles, Scientists, Mathematicians
SpousesLaura Tao
SiblingsNigel tao, Trevor Tao
Known asTerence Chi-Shen Tao
ChildrensWilliam Tao
Universities
  • Princeton University,University Of California, Los Angeles
  • Princeton University
  • Flinders University
Notable Alumnis
  • Princeton University
  • University Of California
  • Los Angeles
Birth PlaceAdelaide, Australia
Born CountryAustralia
GenderMale
FatherBilly Tao
MotherGrace Tao
Sun SignCancer
Born inAdelaide, Australia
Famous asMathematician

// Famous Mathematicians

Grigori Perelman

Grigori Perelman

Grigori Perelman is a Russian mathematician who is best known for his contributions to Riemannian geometry and geometric topology. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.

Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton was an English scientist and mathematician, who discovered gravitation and Newtonian Mechanics. Read this biography to find more on his life.

Brahmagupta

Brahmagupta

Brahmagupta was a highly accomplished ancient Indian astronomer and mathematician. This biography of Brahmagupta provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Terence Tao's photo

Who is Terence Tao?

Terence Tao is an Australian- American mathematician who has contributed enormously to the field of mathematics. He is a recipient of ‘Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science’ and ‘Fellow of the Royal Society’. Tao’s interest in mathematics developed from childhood, and he has achieved success because of his work ever since he was 10 years of age. Tao and another mathematician, Lenhard Ng are the only two people who have achieved a score of more than 700 in the SAT Math section. He is known for his and notable works such as ‘Green-Tao theorem’, ‘Tao’s inequality’, ‘Kakeya Conjecture’ and ‘Horn Conjecture’. Tao has won a number of awards and has authored various books over the years. Currently, he is focusing on different branches of mathematics such as geometric combinatorics, harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, algebraic combinatorics, arithmetic combinators, compressed sensing and analytic number theory. In addition to this, he is teaching at the Department of Mathematics at UCLA. Along with teaching, he is also a part of ‘Analysis Group’ at UCLA, and editor of various mathematical journals.

// Famous Scientists

Juliane Koepcke

Juliane Koepcke

Juliane Koepcke is a German-Peruvian biologist, who was the lone survivor among the 92 passengers and crew of the ill-fated LANSA Flight 508 that crashed in the Peruvian rainforest on 24 December 1971. Know more about her life in this biography.

Henry Cavendish

Henry Cavendish

Henry Cavendish was a theoretical chemist and physicist, renowned for discovery of hydrogen and calculation of the mass of earth. To know more about his childhood, profile, timeline and career read on

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was a Russian rocket scientist and a pioneer of astronautics. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, family, personal life, career, achievements, etc.

Childhood & Early Age

Terence Tao was born on 17 July 1975 in Adelaide, Australia. His father, Dr. Billy Tao, is a paediatrician, and his mother, Grace was school teacher of mathematics and physics in Hong Kong.

Dr. Billy Tao was born in Shanghai and had earned his MBBS degree from University of Hong Kong in 1969. Whereas, Tao’s mother Grace had received a first-class honours degree in physics and mathematics from University of Hong Kong.

Tao has two brothers, Trevor and Nigel, who live in Australia. Both Trevor and Nigel have represented Australia at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Also, Tao’s brothers too have contributed exceptionally to the field of mathematics.

Tao was two years old when his parents started to notice that he was different from other children. He would teach five year olds spellings and addition. When his parents questioned him about his skills, he would answer that he learned it by watching Sesame Street on television.

Tao’s parents decided to put him in school when he was three and a half years of age. But soon enough they realised that he wasn’t ready for schooling. Also, his teachers found it difficult to teach a genius like him.

At the age of five, Tao started going to school like other children. By his eighth birthday, he was attending Blackwood High School in Adelaide. Even at early age, one would find him sitting at far corner reading hardback book like ‘Calculus’.

When Tao was eleven years old, he started taking classes at Flinders University in Adelaide along with attending his classes at Blackwood High School. Garth Gaudry was his professor at Flinders University.

Tao submitted his first research paper at the age of 15. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 1991 and master’s degree in 1992 from Flinders University.

After completing his master’s degree, Terence Tao was awarded the University Medal at Flinders University and a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship which helped him in undertaking research in the US.

Tao undertook research at Princeton University and was an assistant researcher from 1993-94. He was awarded a Sloan Postgraduate Fellowship in 1995. In June 1996, he was awarded doctorate degree for his thesis ‘Three regularity results in harmonic analysis’.

Career

After completing his PhD at the age of 21, Terence Tao joined the University of California as a faculty. At the age of 24, he became a full-time professor at UCLA and the youngest ever to be appointed on that rank at UCLA.

Along with Ben J. Green of Oxford University, Tao proved the Green-Tao theorem which is one of his acclaimed works. By 2006, Tao had worked with over 30 others and collaborated with 68 co-authors.

For his Green-Tao theorem, Tao received many medals and awards. He became the youngest mathematician, and the first UCLA faculty member to be awarded Fields Medal in 2006.

For his phenomenal work, he was nominated for Australian of the Year in 2007. Tao published another work ‘Tao’s inequality’ in the same year.

In 2007, Tao and a Vietnamese Mathematician from Yale University, Van H. Vu unravelled the circular law conjecture.

In 2010, along with Ben Green, Tao came up with proof of the Hardy-Littlewood prime tuples conjecture for any linear system of finite complexity.

He also contributed to the study of Erdos-Straus conjecture, in 2011. In this study, he proved that the number of solutions to the Erdos-Straus equation increases polylogarithmically as n tends to infinity.

In 2012, Tao proved that every odd integer greater than 1 is the sum of at most five primes. In the same year, he was also selected as a Simons Investigator and received Crafoord Prize with Jean Bourgain.

Ben Green and Tao collaborated again in 2012 and proved Dirac-Motzkin conjecture and the ‘orchard-planting problem’. Also, Tao published his first monograph on the topic ‘Higher Order Fourier Analysis’.

Tao proved Erdos discrepancy problem in September 2015, using entropy estimates with analytic number theory for the first time.

Major Works

Terrence Tao’s contribution to the field of mathematics has been huge. But, his most notable work has been the Green-Tao theorem which he proved with his long-time collaborator, Ben Green. Due to this work, Tao became a corresponding member of the Australian Academy of Science. In 2007, he was also elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. Also, Tao was awarded the Australian Mathematical Society Medal of 2004 for the Green-Tao theorem.

Awards & Achievements

Right from the time when Tao was ten years old, he began participating in International Mathematical Olympiads. In 1986 he won a bronze medal, in 1987 a silver medal and in 1988 gold medal, thus becoming the youngest to win a gold medal in Mathematical Olympiad.

Tao has received a Salem Prize in 2000 and an American Mathematical Society Bocher Memorial Prize in 2002.

In 2003, Tao received Clay Research Award given to mathematicians to appreciate their efforts and achievements in mathematical research.

In 2005, he received the ISAAC Award from the International Society of Analysis and in 2006 the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize.

He was one of the co-recipients of the Fields Medal in 2006. Fields is considered as the mathematician’s “Nobel Prize”.

He won the 2014 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics for numerous breakthrough contributions to harmonic analysis, combinatorics, partial differential equations and analytic number theory.

Personal Life

Terrence Tao’s parents met at the University of Hong Kong as students. Later, they emigrated from Hong Kong to Australia where Tao was born.

His wife Laura works at NASA in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as an engineer. They have a son and a daughter and live in Los Angeles, California.

Tao’s contribution to mathematics has been enormous with over 300 research papers and 17 books so far.

// Famous Princeton University

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller is an American actor and screenwriter who achieved recognition for his role in the TV series ‘Prison Break’.

Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth is a FOX News Channel contributor from America. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.

Michael Porter

Michael Porter

Michael Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. This biography profiles his childhood, career, academic contribution, works, life, achievements and timeline.

Terence Tao's awards

YearNameAward

Other

0Royal Medal
0Crafoord Prize
0Salem Prize
0Bôcher Memorial Prize
0Clay Research Award
0Ostrowski Prize
0Nemmers Prize in Mathematics
0Crafoord Prize
0Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics
0SASTRA Ramanujan Prize
0Levi L. Conant Prize
0King Faisal International Prize
0Australian Mathematical Society Medal
0Alan T. Waterman Award
0George Pólya Prize
0Onsager Medal
0Fulbright Program
0Fields Medal
0 MacArthur Fellowship
0 Fellow of the Royal Society

Terence Tao biography timelines

  • // 1969
    Dr. Billy Tao was born in Shanghai and had earned his MBBS degree from University of Hong Kong in 1969. Whereas, Tao’s mother Grace had received a first-class honours degree in physics and mathematics from University of Hong Kong.
  • // 17th Jul 1975
    Terence Tao was born on 17 July 1975 in Adelaide, Australia. His father, Dr. Billy Tao, is a paediatrician, and his mother, Grace was school teacher of mathematics and physics in Hong Kong.
  • // 1991 To 1992
    Tao submitted his first research paper at the age of 15. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 1991 and master’s degree in 1992 from Flinders University.
  • // 2000 To 2002
    Tao has received a Salem Prize in 2000 and an American Mathematical Society Bocher Memorial Prize in 2002.
  • // 2003
    In 2003, Tao received Clay Research Award given to mathematicians to appreciate their efforts and achievements in mathematical research.
  • // 2004 To 2007
    Terrence Tao’s contribution to the field of mathematics has been huge. But, his most notable work has been the Green-Tao theorem which he proved with his long-time collaborator, Ben Green. Due to this work, Tao became a corresponding member of the Australian Academy of Science. In 2007, he was also elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. Also, Tao was awarded the Australian Mathematical Society Medal of 2004 for the Green-Tao theorem.
  • // 2005 To 2006
    In 2005, he received the ISAAC Award from the International Society of Analysis and in 2006 the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize.
  • // 2006
    Along with Ben J. Green of Oxford University, Tao proved the Green-Tao theorem which is one of his acclaimed works. By 2006, Tao had worked with over 30 others and collaborated with 68 co-authors.
  • // 2006
    For his Green-Tao theorem, Tao received many medals and awards. He became the youngest mathematician, and the first UCLA faculty member to be awarded Fields Medal in 2006.
  • // 2006
    He was one of the co-recipients of the Fields Medal in 2006. Fields is considered as the mathematician’s “Nobel Prize”.
  • // 2007
    For his phenomenal work, he was nominated for Australian of the Year in 2007. Tao published another work ‘Tao’s inequality’ in the same year.
  • // 2007
    In 2007, Tao and a Vietnamese Mathematician from Yale University, Van H. Vu unravelled the circular law conjecture.
  • // 2010
    In 2010, along with Ben Green, Tao came up with proof of the Hardy-Littlewood prime tuples conjecture for any linear system of finite complexity.
  • // 2011
    He also contributed to the study of Erdos-Straus conjecture, in 2011. In this study, he proved that the number of solutions to the Erdos-Straus equation increases polylogarithmically as n tends to infinity.
  • // 2012
    In 2012, Tao proved that every odd integer greater than 1 is the sum of at most five primes. In the same year, he was also selected as a Simons Investigator and received Crafoord Prize with Jean Bourgain.
  • // 2012
    Ben Green and Tao collaborated again in 2012 and proved Dirac-Motzkin conjecture and the ‘orchard-planting problem’. Also, Tao published his first monograph on the topic ‘Higher Order Fourier Analysis’.
  • // 2014
    He won the 2014 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics for numerous breakthrough contributions to harmonic analysis, combinatorics, partial differential equations and analytic number theory.
  • // Sep 2015
    Tao proved Erdos discrepancy problem in September 2015, using entropy estimates with analytic number theory for the first time.

// Famous University Of California, Los Angeles

Alfonso Ribeiro

Alfonso Ribeiro

Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro Sr. is an American actor, show host, dancer and television director. This biography profiles his childhood, family, personal life, career etc.

Jack Black

Jack Black

Jack Black is a renowned American actor-producer and voice artist. Explore this biography to learn more about his profile, childhood, career and timeline

Steve Martin

Steve Martin

Steve Martin is a multiple award winning American comedian, actor and writer. This biography of Steve Martin provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline

Carlos Castaneda

Carlos Castaneda

Carlos Castaneda was an American author who penned ‘The Teachings of Dan Juan’. This biography gives detailed information about his childhood, life, works and timeline.

Barbi Benton

Barbi Benton

Barbi Benton is an American model actress and singer, best known for being a longtime former girlfriend of 'Playboy' founder, Hugh Hefner. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.

Paul Butcher

Paul Butcher

Paul Butcher is an actor best known for his role in the TV show ‘Zoey 101.’ Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements, and fun facts about him.

Terence Tao's FAQ

  • What is Terence Tao birthday?

    Terence Tao was born at 1975-07-17

  • Where is Terence Tao's birth place?

    Terence Tao was born in Adelaide, Australia

  • What is Terence Tao nationalities?

    Terence Tao's nationalities is Australian, American

  • Who is Terence Tao spouses?

    Terence Tao's spouses is Laura Tao

  • Who is Terence Tao siblings?

    Terence Tao's siblings is Nigel tao, Trevor Tao

  • Who is Terence Tao childrens?

    Terence Tao's childrens is William Tao

  • What was Terence Tao universities?

    Terence Tao studied at Princeton University,University Of California, Los Angeles, Princeton University, Flinders University

  • What was Terence Tao notable alumnis?

    Terence Tao's notable alumnis is Princeton University, University Of California, Los Angeles

  • Who is Terence Tao's father?

    Terence Tao's father is Billy Tao

  • Who is Terence Tao's mother?

    Terence Tao's mother is Grace Tao

  • What is Terence Tao's sun sign?

    Terence Tao is Cancer

  • How famous is Terence Tao?

    Terence Tao is famouse as Mathematician