Kiyoshi Ito
Wolf Prize Laureate in Mathematics 1987
Kiyoshi Ito
Affiliation at the time of the award:
Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan
Award citation:
“for his fundamental contributions to pure and applied probability theory, especially the creation of the stochastic differential and integral calculus”.
Prize share:
Kiyoshi Ito
Peter D. Lax
Professor Kiyoshi Ito has given us a full understanding of the infinitesimal development of Markovian sample paths. This may be viewed as Newton’s law in the stochastic realm, providing a direct translation between the governing partial differential equation and the underlying probabilistic mechanism. Its main ingredient is the differential and integral calculus of functions of Brownian motion. The resulting theory is a cornerstone of modern probability, both pure and applied. In addition, Prof. Ito has been the inspirer and teacher of a whole generation of Japanese probabilists.