Professor Ngo Bao Chau likes to live quietly

Talking to the French news agency AFP, Professor Ngo Bao Chau said he liked a quiet life with mathematics, which kept him tight.

" When I went to buy cigarettes, people recognized me, " Chau said of his experience returning to Hanoi after receiving the Fields award.

Chau was awarded the prize by the International Mathematical Association which is considered a Nobel in mathematics because of the proof of the basic lemma. Previously, his work was recorded when Time magazine voted it one of the 10 biggest discoveries in science in 2009.

The face of this mathematician is still young, but his hair starts to turn gray. Chau said that he likes to work in privacy but now, the award makes him feel more responsible and obliged to his homeland. " From now on, I have a heavy responsibility because I get more attention ," he said.

Chau grew up in Vietnam but his breakthrough discoveries in mathematics were in France. Chau said he was proud of the relationship with both countries. " I receive this honor as a Vietnamese - French ".

Chau said he " rushed to become a French citizen " in February when he felt he would win the prize. It would not be fair if his success did not bring the recognition for French mathematicians, Chau explained.

Chau followed his father's job, a mathematician. The passion for this subject became strong when Chau entered high school. He won an international gold medal and received a scholarship to France in 1990.

In 2004, with Gerard Laumon, he won the Clay Prize for his research on basic lemma. But this work is not complete."That is an important milestone in my research. My efforts are blocked there ," he said.

Chau left France for Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies in New Jersey, USA, and the breakthrough in his work occurred there. " Everything was clear in a week or two in December 2006. At that time, I seemed to find the missing piece in the puzzle. I knew I wanted to go to the end, and prove the lemma. basic ".

Chau now works at the University of Chicago. He said he would spend three months each year in Vietnam and open a mathematics research institute, directly under the Ministry of Education. " One of the goals of that plan is to attract Vietnamese scientists to come back and work in their homeland, " Chau said.

" This medal is a great pride for Vietnamese people and an opportunity for researchers to develop this country, " he commented.