Mr Chairman,

In the world of mathematics, there are scholars who advance a field, and there are those rare individuals who are able to transform it. Professor Zelmanov belongs to the latter group. As a mathematician of exceptional depth and originality, he has reshaped modern algebra through breakthroughs of extraordinary conceptual power, solving problems that had challenged the world’s finest minds for generations. His work has not only deepened our understanding of algebra and group theory, but also has demonstrated the enduring power of pure mathematics to illuminate the foundations of science, technology, and human knowledge.

Professor Zelmanov was born in Russia and began his academic journey at Novosibirsk State University, where he received his master’s degree in mathematics. He later completed his Candidate of Sciences degree, equivalent to a PhD, at the Mathematics Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1980. From this rigorous intellectual foundation, he went on to build a distinguished international career, holding positions at several of the world’s leading universities, including University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Chicago, Yale University, and University of California, San Diego. He is currently Chair Professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen and Director of the Shenzhen International Centre for Mathematics, also known as the Zelmanov Mathematics Centre.

Professor Zelmanov’s contributions to mathematics are profound and far-reaching. He is widely recognised for his pioneering work in Jordan algebras, Lie algebras, and group theory. He transformed the structure theory of infinite-dimensional Jordan algebras and solved the long-standing Engel problem for Lie algebras. Most notably, he achieved a complete solution to the restricted Burnside problem, one of the most celebrated and difficult problems in group theory. This problem had resisted solution for nearly a century, and its resolution stands as one of the landmark achievements of twentieth-century mathematics.

For this extraordinary accomplishment, Professor Zelmanov was awarded the Fields Medal at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Zürich in 1994. The Fields Medal is widely regarded as the highest honour in mathematics, and the award recognised not only the technical brilliance of his solution, but also the profound conceptual vision that made it possible. His work has opened new directions in algebra and has influenced areas beyond pure mathematics, including theoretical physics, computer science, artificial intelligence, cryptography, and the mathematical foundations of distributed systems.

Professor Zelmanov’s international standing is further reflected in his election to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 2001 and as a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2021. These honours speak to the exceptional quality, originality, and enduring impact of his scholarship, and his contribution extends well beyond his own research. As a teacher, mentor, and academic leader, he has guided generations of young mathematicians, many of whom have gone on to become distinguished scholars in their own right. Through his lectures, supervision, international collaborations, and leadership of mathematical institutions, he has strengthened the global mathematical community and fostered the next generation of scientific talent.

Professor Zelmanov is a scholar of rare distinction: a mathematician whose ideas have changed the landscape of algebra, a mentor whose influence continues through his students and collaborators, and an international academic leader whose work embodies the highest ideals of intellectual excellence.

Mr Chairman, in recognition of Prof. Efim Zelmanov’s foundational contributions to mathematics, his outstanding global leadership, and his enduring dedication to education and the advancement of young researchers, I hereby request that you confer on him the title of an Honorary Fellowship.