Wendelin Werner is Professor of Mathematics at Université Paris-Sud and École Normale Supérieure, Paris. Werner analyses the large scale behavior of random systems such as random walks, the mathematical formalisation of a trajectory that consists of taking successive random steps. The path traced by a molecule as it travels, the financial status of a gambler or the propagation of a disease can all be modeled thanks to random walks – thus making Wendelin Werner’s intricate mathematical analysis applicable to a wide range of fields, from physics to epidemiology.
For his work, Wendelin Werner was honoured with the Fields Medal, one of the few awards in science that can claim to be even more exclusive than the Nobel Prize.