IISc Bangalore Prof Mahesh Kakde awarded Ramanujan Prize 2026 for contributions to algebraic number theory

Indian mathematician Mahesh Kakde, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has been awarded the Ramanujan Prize 2026 for his important contributions to algebraic number theory.

The prize, awarded jointly by ICTP and the International Mathematical Union (IMU), recognises Kakde’s fundamental results in noncommutative Iwasawa theory and his work on the Gross-Stark and Brumer-Stark conjectures.

Work linked to Hilbert's 12th problem

According to ICTP's release, Kakde’s research has implications for Hilbert’s 12th problem, one of the 23 famous mathematical problems listed by German mathematician David Hilbert in 1900.

Kakde’s main field of research is algebraic number theory, a branch of mathematics that “uses structures such as fields and groups to study problems involving integers and their generalisations,” a statement from ICTP said.

Mahesh Kakde's educational background

The IISc professor completed his Bachelor of Mathematics at the Indian Statistical Institute in Bangalore before pursuing a Master of Mathematics and doctoral degree in pure mathematics at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He received his PhD in 2008, the release added.

After completing his doctorate, Kakde worked as an instructor of mathematics at Princeton University and later joined University College London as a research associate.

He subsequently worked at King's College London before being appointed professor at IISc Bangalore in 2019.

Awards and recognitions

The Ramanujan Prize is not Kakde’s first major recognition for his work in mathematics.

He received the Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences in 2022 and was also an invited speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians, alongside Samit Dasgupta.

In 2023, he was named to Asian Scientist 100, an annual list of leading researchers, academics and innovators across Asia published by Asian Scientist Magazine.

The Ramanujan Prize

The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries has been awarded annually since 2005 and is jointly administered by ICTP and IMU.

The award is given to a researcher from a developing country who is under 45 years of age and has conducted outstanding research under difficult conditions in a developing country.

The prize carries a cash award of $10,000, with the winner selected by a committee of eminent mathematicians appointed in consultation between ICTP and IMU.