Terence Tao (b. 1975) is one of the world's leading mathematicians. Born in Adelaide into an exceptionally high-achieving family, Tao showed prodigious ability in mathematics from an early age, attending Flinders University for tuition from the age of nine. Before turning 13 he became the youngest person ever to win the international Mathematical Olympiad Gold Medal. After completing his master's degree at Flinders in 1992 he went to Princeton, where he gained his doctorate in 1996. For some years he taught alternately at the University of California (UCLA), the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University. Since 2000 he has been a full professor in the mathematics department at UCLA, the youngest person ever to hold such a position. Tao has won a plethora of international awards for mathematics including the Australian Mathematical Society Medal in 2005 and the Fields Prize, the preeminent award in the field, in 2006.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2006
© Reed Hutchinson
Reed Hutchinson (1 portrait)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Diana Warnes discusses the portrait of the Australian mathematician Terence Tao.
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