The Vasil A. Popov Prize was established in memory of the late Professor Vasil A. Popov of Bulgaria in recognition of his outstanding contributions to mathematics. The Prize was created in 1995 and has been maintained solely by contributions from his colleagues, friends, and those who support the existence of such a prize. The Prize recognizes distinguished research accomplishments in Approximation Theory and related areas of mathematics. Eligibility for the Prize is restricted to young mathematicians removed less than 6 years from their doctoral degree.

The Popov Prize, which consists of an engraved marble trophy and a cash award, is awarded every third year. The Prize is traditionally awarded at the Texas Conferences in Approximation Theory. The Popov Prize is good for Approximation Theory! It not only brings recognition to this field but also encourages young talented mathematicians into this area of research.

The First Prize in 1995 was awarded to Albert Cohen (Paris VI); the Second Prize in 1998 to Arno Kuijlaars (Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven, Belgium); the Third Prize in 2001 to Emmanuel Candes (Cal Tech); the Fourth Prize in 2004 to Serguei Denissov (University of Wisconsin-Madison); and the Fifth Prize in 2007 to Mauro Maggioni (Duke University).

The Selection Committee for the Vasil A. Popov Prize consists of Albert Cohen (Paris VI), Wolfgang Dahmen (RWTH-Aachen), Arno Kuijlaars (Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven, Belgium), Paul Nevai (The Ohio State University), Pencho Petrushev (University of South Carolina), Allan Pinkus (Technion-Haifa), and Edward Saff (Vanderbilt University).

If you are interested in donating to the Popov Prize Fund, please see our contributions page.