Belgian mathematician receives prestigious US science award

Belgian-American mathematician Ingrid Daubechies has been awarded the National Medal of Science in the United States. This was reported by De Tijd and confirmed by a press release from the White House on Saturday.

Born in Houthalen, Limburg, Daubechies obtained a doctorate in quantum physics from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. After marrying American scientist Robert Calderbank, she decided to move to the United States, where she built her career.

Daubechies has broken the glass ceiling several times in her field, including becoming the first female professor of mathematics at Princeton and president of the International Mathematical Union. The 70-year-old is now professor emeritus at Duke University in North Carolina.

Compression technology

The Belgian-American mathematician is best known for her work on 'wavelets', which play an important role in data compression. Wavelets are used worldwide in technologies such as medical imaging, art restoration and seismic analysis.

Daubechies has received many awards during her career, both for her work on wavelets and for her initiatives to get more women into mathematics. But the Medal of Science is the most prestigious, recognising outstanding scientific contributions in various disciplines.

As one of 14 recipients, Daubechies will receive her medal at an official ceremony at the White House later this year. While the winners were announced by US president Joe Biden, the Belgian will receive her award from president-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on 20 January.

^{Ingrid Daubechies in 2013. © BELGA PHOTO AFP / TASOS KATOPODIS}