Christopher Skinner, Princeton University professor of mathematics, has been named a 2015 Simons Investigator in Mathematics by the New York-based Simons Foundation. Skinner, who works in number theory and arithmetic geometry, was recognized for a "striking" proof that "a positive proportion of elliptic curves defined over the rational numbers satisfy the Birch–Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture," the foundation wrote in the award citation. The investigator awards in mathematics, physics and theoretical computer science provide $100,000 annually for an initial five years to "undertake long-term study of fundamental questions," according to the foundation; an additional $10,000 per year is provided to the recipient's department. The awards can be renewed for an additional five years.
