Last Wednesday, March 26, 2025, this year's Abel Prize was awarded to the Japanese mathematician Masaki Kashiwara. The Abel Prize is one of the most prestigious honours in mathematics. It is awarded every year by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and comes with a prize money of over £550,000.

In this episode of Maths on the Move we talk to Helge Holden, Chair of the Abel Prize Committee. Helge tells us about this year's winner, the history and purpose of the Prize, and how the winners are chosen. He also tells us why good mathematicians are needed in all sectors of science and beyond, and talks about the tragic story of the mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, after whom the Prize is named.

To find out more about some of the topics mentioned in this episode, see:

• The Abel Prize 2025: Masaki Kashiwara - An accessible look at some of Kashiwara's mathematics.
• The Chern Medal 2018: Masaki Kashiwara - Another look at Kashiwara's work written on the occasion of his winning the Chern Medal in 2018.
• What are groups and what are they good for? - An episode of the Maths on the Move podcast which explores group theory.
• Stubborn equations and the study of symmetry - An article which touches one of Niels Henrik Abel's most famous results.
• Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik - Also known as Crelle's journal, this publication is mentioned in the podcast.