Maksym Radziwill
A mathematician who probes the deep, hidden patterns within numbers, making breakthroughs in the ancient field of analytic number theory.
Born 1988 (age 38)·Polish-Canadian mathematician·Birthday: February 24·Millennials
Biography
Maksym Radziwill's mind is tuned to the fundamental frequencies of mathematics. Born in Poland and raised in Canada, he was solving Olympiad problems while most teenagers were focused on other pursuits. He pursued his passion at the University of Toronto and later at Stanford, where he earned his doctorate. Radziwill operates in the rarefied air of analytic number theory, a discipline concerned with the distribution of prime numbers and the behavior of objects like the Riemann zeta function. His work is characterized by powerful technical ingenuity and a drive to solve problems that have stubbornly resisted attack for decades. In collaboration with other top minds, including his frequent partner K. Soundararajan, he has produced landmark results on the correlations of values of the Riemann zeta function and on quantum chaos. Now a professor at the California Institute of Technology, he continues to reshape the landscape of his field, earning recognition as one of the most creative and formidable number theorists of his generation.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Maksym was born in 1988, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maksym Was Born
The biggest hits of 1988
#1 Movie
Rain Man
Best Picture
Rain Man
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Maksym's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1988Born
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1993Started school
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2001Became a teenager
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Could drive
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2006Could vote
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2009Turned 21
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2018Turned 30
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 38 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Awarded the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship in 2016 for his early-career achievements in mathematics.
- Proved, with K. Soundararajan, a landmark result on the distribution of values of the Riemann zeta function, solving a conjecture about its correlations.
- Received the 2023 Ostrowski Prize, a high honor in number theory and related fields.
- Held a professorship at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University before moving to Caltech.
Did You Know?
He won a silver medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2004 as part of the Canadian team.
His father, Henryk Radziwill, is also a mathematician and a professor.
He completed his PhD at Stanford University under the supervision of Kannan Soundararajan, with whom he later collaborated extensively.
He moved from New York University to become a professor of mathematics at the California Institute of Technology in 2023.
“The primes play a game of chance, and we try to understand the rules.”
