Vagn Lundsgaard Hansen is Professor of Mathematics
since 1980 at the Technical University of Denmark. Professor
Emeritus 2010. He earned a master's degree in mathematics and
physics from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, 1966, and a PhD in
mathematics from the University of Warwick, England, 1972. He has
held positions as assistant professor, University of Aarhus,
1966-69; research fellow, University of Warwick, 1969-72; associate
professor, University of Copenhagen,
Denmark, 1972-80; Scientific Director of
LearningLab DTU 2005-08. He was visiting professor (fall
1986), University of Maryland, College Park,
US.
He is fascinated by the interaction between the abstract
and the concrete in mathematics, and by finding serious mathematics
in the description and explanation of phenomena from the real
world. He has research papers in topology, geometry, and global
analysis and has authored several books including the general books
"Geometry in Nature" (1993) and "Shadows of the Circle" (1998).
Other research interests include mathematical education and the
history of mathematics.
He was Chairman Committee for Raising Public
Awareness of Mathematics appointed by the European Mathematical
Society, 2000-2006. He was Invited speaker International Congress
of Mathematicians, Beijing 2002 and Invited regular lecturer 10th
International Congress on Mathematical Education, Copenhagen 2004.
President of the Jury at the 19th European Union Contest for
Young Scientists, Valencia 2007. Laudatio for the Abel Prize winner
Mikhael Gromov at the announcement of the Abel Prize,
Oslo 2009. He is President Danish Academy of Natural Sciences
since 1984, Member European Academy of Sciences 2004, President of
the Danish Mathematical Society 2008-12. Member Danish Natural
Science Research Council, 1992-98, and functioned for four years in
this period as vice-chairman. Member Danish Committees on
Scientific Dishonesty 2003-2009.
Knight of the Order of Dannebrog 1993; 1st class
2010. Recipient of the G.A. Hagemann Gold Medal, Technical
University of Denmark, for meritorious contributions to
Mathematics and the Engineering Sciences, 2011. Fellow of the
American Mathematical Society for distinguished contributions to
Mathematics, 2012.