Jonathan Pila

Jonathan Solomon Pila (born 1962)

Career and research Research interests lie in number theory and model theory. A focus has been applying the theory of o-minimality to Diophantine problems. This work began with an early paper with Enrico Bombieri, and developed through collaborations with Alex Wilkie and Umberto Zannier. The techniques obtained have led to advances in Diophantine problems, including Pila's unconditional proof of the André–Oort conjecture for powers of the modular curve.

Pila has held posts at Columbia University, McGill University, the University of Bristol and (as a visiting member) the Institute for Advanced Study. Pila also took a substantial break from professional mathematics to work in his family's manufacturing business. . In June 2011, he was awarded the Senior Whitehead Prize by the London Mathematical Society. This prize is "awarded in recognition of work in and influence on and service to mathematics; or lecturing gifts." Pila was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2015.