The Joseph L. Doob Prize is an award presented by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) to recognize an outstanding research book in mathematics. Established in 2005 and endowed by Paul and Virginia Halmos, the prize is named in honor of Joseph L. Doob, a former AMS president and influential mathematician in probability theory.
Award details
- Frequency: Every three years.
- Monetary component: $5,000 (U.S.).
- Eligibility: The book must be a relatively recent work, published within the six calendar years preceding the nomination year. It should make a seminal contribution to the research literature, exemplify high standards of exposition, and be expected to have a lasting impact in its field.
History
The prize was originally called the AMS Book Prize; after the inaugural award, it was renamed to honor Doob. It was created to encourage the publication of high‑quality research monographs that advance mathematical knowledge.
Recipients
| Year | Recipient(s) | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | William P. Thurston | Three‑dimensional Geometry and Topology (Princeton University Press, 1997) |
| 2008 | Enrico Bombieri & Walter Gubler | Heights in Diophantine Geometry (Cambridge University Press, 2006) |
| 2011 | Peter Kronheimer & Tomasz Mrowka | Monopoles and Three‑Manifolds (Cambridge University Press, 2007) |
| 2014 | Cédric Villani | Optimal Transport: Old and New (Springer Verlag, 2009) |
| 2017 | John Friedlander & Henryk Iwaniec | Opera de Cribro (AMS, 2010) |
| 2020 | René Carmona & François Delarue | Probabilistic Theory of Mean Field Games with Applications (Springer, 2018) |
| 2023 | Bjorn Poonen | Rational Points on Varieties (American Mathematical Society, 2017) |
| 2026 | Semyon Dyatlov & Maciej Zworski | Mathematical Theory of Scattering Resonances (AMS, 2019) |
Significance
The Doob Prize highlights the importance of scholarly books that synthesize and advance research areas in mathematics. By focusing on recent monographs, the award encourages authors to produce works that are both rigorous and accessible, thereby fostering broader dissemination of new mathematical ideas.
References
- American Mathematical Society, “Joseph L. Doob Prize.”
- Wikipedia, Joseph L. Doob Prize (accessed April 2026).