<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">The 2012 CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics awarded to Luc Vinet <br><br>[le francais suit]<br><br>Montreal, April 26, 2012 - The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the<br>Centre de recherches mathematiques (CRM) are pleased to announce that the 2012<br>CAP-CRM Prize In Theoretical And Mathematical Physics is awarded to Luc Vinet,<br>University of Montreal, his outstanding and continued contributions to mathematical<br>physics, mainly based on the study of symmetries, algebraic structures, and special<br>functions.<br><br>Luc Vinet is one of Canada's leading mathematical and theoretical physicists who has<br>made outstanding contributions in numerous areas. The unifying feature of his<br>research is the innovative use of group theoretical and algebraic methods, the<br>emphasis on exact solutions of physical problems and the originality of his<br>approach. He has made important contributions that have had great impact on both<br>physics and mathematics. His early remarkable work was on gauge field theories in<br>particular on exact invariant solutions of Yang –Mills equations in Minkowski space.<br>Also early in his career he identified the symmetries and supersymmetries of<br>magnetic monopole systems. He explored various algebraic structures appropriate to<br>describe symmetries in different physical problems. These go well beyond standard<br>Lie groups and algebras. They include polynomial, quantum, super- and parasuper-<br>algebras. He is very well known for his influential work on quantum many body<br>problems and for his application of this work to a proof of the long outstanding Macdonald conjecture<br>on properties of multivariate orthogonal polynomials. His contributions to the<br>symmetry theory of difference and q-difference equations are truly pioneering.<br>Remarkably, Vinet's scientific career was not interrupted by his heavy<br>administrative duties as Director of the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques, then<br>Provost of McGill University and finally Rector of the Universite de Montreal. He<br>continued to publish highly innovative work during his administrative tenure and<br>is now going through a new burst of creativity. Quite recently, in 2011, he has<br>discovered new families of orthogonal polynomials, associated to reflections.<br>These have already found many applications. In the context of quantum information<br>theory, he has shown how spin chains can be used to design perfect quantum wires.<br><br>The CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics is intended to recognize<br>research excellence in the fields of theoretical and mathematical physics. This<br>prize was first introduced in 1995 and has been awarded annually since.<br><br>Dr. Vinet will be presented with the 2012 CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and<br>Mathematical Physics at the 2012 CAP Congress (hosted by the University of Calgary<br>in Calgary, Alberta, from June 11-15) at the end of his plenary talk and will be<br>recognized during the Congress banquet to be held on Thursday, June 14th, 2012.<br>Please refer to the Congress program for the schedule of plenary talks by CAP medal<br>winners.<br><br>The Canadian Association of Physicists, founded in 1945, is a professional<br>association representing over 1600 individual physicists and physics students in<br>Canada, the U.S. and overseas, as well as a number of Corporate, Institutional, and<br>Departmental Members. In addition to its learned activities, the CAP also undertakes<br>a number of activities intended to encourage students to pursue a career in physics.<br>________________________________________________________________________________<br><br><br>Le prix ACP-CRM de physique theorique et mathematique 2012 a Luc Vinet<br><br><br>Montreal, le 26 avril 2012 - L'Association canadienne des physiciens et physiciennes<br>(ACP) et le Centre de recherches mathematiques (CRM) sont fiers d'annoncer que le<br>Prix ACP-CRM de physique theorique et mathematique 2012 sera decerne a Luc Vinet ses<br>contributions exceptionnelles et constantes a la physique mathematique,<br>principalement sur l'etude des symetries, des structures algebriques et des<br>fonctions speciales.<br><br>Luc Vinet est au Canada l'un des grands physiciens mathematiciens et theoriciens<br>dont la contribution est remarquable dans divers domaines. Les elements unificateurs<br>de sa recherche sont l'emploi novateur de methodes theoriques et algebriques en<br>groupe, l'accent place sur les solutions exactes aux problemes physiques et<br>l'originalite de son approche. Ses importantes contributions auront une incidence<br>profonde a la fois en physique et en mathematique. Ses premiers travaux remarquables<br>portent sur les theories des champs de jauge, en particulier sur les solutions<br>invariables exactes aux equations Yang-Mills dans l'espace de Minkowski. De plus, au<br>debut de sa carriere, M. Vinet decouvrira des symetries et des supersymetries aux<br>systemes monopolaires magnetiques. Il explorera diverses structures algebriques<br>appropriees pour decrire les symetries de differents problemes physiques, qui vont<br>bien au-dela des groupes de Lie et des algebres normales et englobent l'algebre des polynômes, <br>l'algebre quantique, la super-algebre et la parasuper-algebre. Il acquerra une notoriete <br>par son oeuvre influente sur les problemes quantiques a N corps et par son application <br>de ces travaux a prouver la conjecture de Macdonald, non resolue depuis longtemps, sur les proprietes des<br>polynômes orthogonaux multivaries. Les contributions de M. Vinet a la theorie de la<br>symetrie des equations de difference et de difference Q sont vraiment<br>d'avant-garde. Fait etonnant, sa carriere scientifique ne sera pas interrompue par<br>ses lourdes tâches administratives de directeur du Centre de recherches<br>mathematiques, puis de vice-recteur a l'enseignement et a la recherche a<br>l'Universite McGill et enfin, de recteur de l'Universite de Montreal. M. Vinet<br>continuera de publier des travaux hautement novateurs en depit de ses fonctions<br>administratives et il connaît actuellement un nouvel elan de creativite. Il<br>decouvrira, tout récemment en 2011, de nouvelles familles de polynômes orthogonaux <br>associes a ses reflexions, qui trouvent deja bien des applications. Dans le contexte de<br>la theorie de l'information quantique, M. Vinet demontrera comment les chaînes de<br>spin peuvent servir a concevoir des fils quantiques parfaits.<br><br>Le prix de l'ACP-CRM en physique theorique et mathematique vise a souligner<br>l'excellence dans le domaine de la recherche theorique et mathematique. Ce prix a<br>ete creee en 1995 et est decernee annuellement depuis. Le prix ACP-CRM en physique<br>theorique et mathematique 2012 sera octroyee a Dr. Vinet durant le congres ACP 2012<br>(qui se tiendra du 11 au 15 juin 2012 a l'Universite de Calgary, a Calgary, Alberta)<br>a la fin de sa session pleniere et sera honore au banquet du congres du jeudi 14<br>juin 2012. Veuillez consulter le programme du congres de<br>l'ACP pour l'horaire des sessions plenieres des recipiendaires des medailles.<br><br>L'Association canadienne des physiciens et physiciennes, fondee en 1945, est une<br>association professionnelle qui represente plus de 1600 physiciens et etudiants en<br>physique au Canada, aux Etats-Unis et outre-mer ainsi qu'un certain nombre de<br>societes et etablissements membres. Outre ses activites specialisees, l'ACP en<br>exerce d'autres qui visent a inciter les etudiants a faire carriere en physique.<br><br><br>Source : <br>Centre de recherches mathematiques<br><a href="mailto:communications@crm.umontreal.ca">communications@crm.umontreal.ca</a></body></html>