The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities congratulates its members, Prof. David Kazhdan of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Prof. Joseph Bernstein of Tel Aviv University, on jointly receiving the prestigious 2026 Wolf Prize in Mathematics.

The Wolf Prize is awarded by the Wolf Foundation to scientists and artists from around the world for exceptional achievements that advance science and the arts for the benefit of humanity. The prize fields include medicine, agriculture, mathematics, chemistry and physics, as well as painting and sculpture, music and architecture.

The official award citation honors the laureates “For foundational work on representation theory, automorphic forms and algebraic geometry, and their role in creating geometric representation theory”.

Prof. Kazhdan developed new ways to study symmetry—the mathematical idea of properties that remain unchanged under particular transformations, such as rotating a shape. His tools have helped solve difficult problems and reveal connections between different areas of mathematics. His work with George Lusztig helped establish a field that brings algebra and geometry together to understand complex mathematical structures.

Prof. Bernstein developed tools that use geometry to investigate questions in algebra and differential equations. His approach opened new paths to solving problems and understanding connections across mathematics. Working with Alexander Beilinson, he proved a major conjecture formulated by Kazhdan and Lusztig. His research helped shape geometric representation theory, which combines algebraic and geometric methods to study symmetry.

The Academy takes pride in both members’ longstanding contributions to mathematics worldwide and congratulates them on receiving the prestigious Wolf Prize.

Further information on the Wolf Foundation website: Prof. David Kazhdan | Prof. Joseph Bernstein