Endre Szemerédi received the László Fejes Tóth Prize

The prize is named after László Fejes Tóth, the second director of the Mathematical Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, who succeeded Alfréd Rényi. A world-renowned mathematician, Fejes Tóth opened new avenues in an essential branch of discrete geometry – namely, the theory of packings and coverings – which has seen numerous applications in coding theory, number theory, group theory, and other disciplines. His classic monograph, Lagerungen in der Ebene, auf der Kugel und im Raum, was published by Springer in 1953. The expanded English version, authored by Gábor Fejes Tóth and Wlodzimierz Kuperperg, was published last year, precisely 70 years after the original edition. By awarding this prize, the Rényi Institute honors the internationally renowned and pioneering academic contributions of László Fejes Tóth.

The László Fejes Tóth Prize and commemorative medal are awarded annually by the Prize Committee for exceptional achievements in geometry or related fields. The award ceremony traditionally begins with a presentation by the current year's recipient. This year, the prize was bestowed on Endre Szemerédi, who delivered a highly acclaimed lecture on "Structure and Randomness."

Endre Szemerédi holds the Sankt Stephans Orden, the highest state honor in Hungary. He is a recipient of the Abel, Steele, Schock, and Széchenyi Prizes, and serves as a professor, a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and Professor Emeritus of the HUN-REN Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics. Szemerédi established his international prominence during the 1970s and 1980s with his groundbreaking work on arithmetic progressions, combinatorics, geometry, and algorithm theory.

In 2012, he was awarded the Abel Prize "for his seminal contributions to discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science, which have significantly advanced additive number theory and ergodic theory." Discrete mathematics, the study of finite structures such as graphs, sequences, and geometric configurations, has been greatly influenced by his work, especially in the realm of computer science, where he was among the first to recognize its importance.