Great honor for Israel: Hebrew University Professor Elon Lindenstrauss first Israeli to be awarded Fields Medal, world's most important math prize; 'It's a strange feeling, I'm not used to speaking to journalists,' winner tells Ynet
Yael Branovsky

Great honor for Israel: Professor Elon Lindenstrauss from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Einstein Institute of Mathematics has been awarded the prestigious Fields Medal for 2010.

"The feeling is a little odd, I'm not used to speaking to journalists. No doubt, speaking before the cameras is an interesting experience," Lindenstrauss told Ynet after his achievement was announced.

The medal, dubbed "mathematics' Nobel Prize," is the world's most important math prize. It is awarded once every four years to researchers aged 40 years or under.

Lindenstrauss will receive the prize along with three other mathematicians at the International Mathematical Union congress in India. The prize will be awarded by Indian President Pratibha Patil.