Thomas Callister Hales
Thomas Hales | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 4, 1958 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Known for | Proving Kepler conjecture |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Pittsburgh |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert Langlands |
Thomas Callister Hales (born June 4, 1958) is an American mathematician. He is known for his 1998 computer-aided proof of the Kepler conjecture, a centuries-old problem in discrete geometry which states that the most space-efficient way to pack spheres is in a pyramid shape. Hales also proved the honeycomb conjecture.
Education
He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University.
Career in mathematics
Hales, formerly at the University of Michigan, and now University of Pittsburgh Mellon Professor of mathematics, advocates the formalization of mathematics to ensure rigor in an era where proofs are becoming increasingly complex and computers are becoming necessary to perform verification. Hales's current project, called Flyspeck, seeks to formalize his proof of the Kepler conjecture in the computer theorem prover HOL Light. [1] [2] [3]
Notes
- ^ Hales's page at the University of Pittsburgh Math Department
- ^ Flyspeck Project
- ^ Hales solves oldest problem in discrete geometry The University Record (University of Michigan), September 16, 1998