TEHRAN – Shayan Oveis Gharan, a professor in the Paul Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at University of Washington, has won the International Mathematical Union's prestigious Abacus Medal.

He received the prize for his landmark contributions to the theory of algorithms, taking the analysis of algorithms beyond combinatorics and probabilistic analysis into the theory of the geometry of polynomials and related topics. This theory has led to a deeper understanding of distributions on spanning trees and matroid bases in general.

Oveis Gharan got a BSc in computer engineering from Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology in 2008. He received his PhD in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University in 2013.

He was awarded at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) held in Philadelphia, USA, from July 23 to July 30.  

According to the ICM website, his work improved the approximation of the metric travelling salesperson problem, breaking the limit on the approximation factor in Christofides’ 3/2-algorithm from 50 years ago, and led to a revolution in the understanding of Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithms (proving the Mihail-Vazirani conjecture and giving a self-contained proof that resolved the strongest version of Mason’s conjecture) through spectral independence.

The Abacus Medal is awarded every four years to a theoretical computer scientist under 40.

Iran’s achievements in mathematics

Iran grabbed two gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals at the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held on July 15 and 16 in Shanghai, China.

Alireza Joonbakhsh-Najafabadi and Alireza Sharifi won the gold medals, Amirhossein Tayyeb clinched the silver medal, and Arsha Azizeddin, Radin Nik-Eqbali, and Arian Zandi received the bronze medals, IRIB reported.

The IMO is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for high school students and is held annually in a different country. The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating. It has gradually expanded to over 100 countries from 5 continents. The IMO Board ensures that the competition takes place each year and that each host country observes the regulations and traditions of the IMO.

This year’s competition brought together over 1,000 young mathematicians from more than 100 countries and regions. The Iranian team is placed among the top 15 teams in the world.

Iran won two gold medals, three silver medals, and a bronze medal at the 66th IMO 2025, held from July 10-20 in Australia.

The six-member Iranian team claimed the championship at the fourth International Mathematics Summer Camp (IMSC) held in Beijing, China, from June 17 to July 12, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and dedication to mathematics.

Aryan Zandi, Arsha Azizeddin, Amirhossein Tayyeb, Alireza Sharifi, Radin Nik-Eqbali, and Ali Joonbakhsh-Najafabadi won 4 gold medals and two silver medals, outperforming students from Poland and Brazil, IRNA reported.

Some 58 teams from 46 countries and regions, including 41 international teams and 17 teams from China, with over 500 Chinese and international students, teachers, and coaches in total.

The program included more than 340 IMO lectures, 15 IMO showcase lectures, 10 optional seminars, as well as mock tests and problem sessions delivered by 20 experienced lecturers. It also included three distinguished guest lectures delivered by famous mathematicians.