Robert Aumann

Robert Aumann is a renowned Israeli mathematician and economist, best known for his work in game theory and its application to economics. Aumann's research has been influenced by the works of John von Neumann, Oskar Morgenstern, and John Nash. His contributions to the field of game theory have been recognized by the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which he was awarded in 2005, along with Thomas Schelling, for their work on conflict and cooperation through game-theoretic analysis. Aumann's work has also been influenced by the research of Kenneth Arrow, Gerard Debreu, and Milton Friedman.

● Early Life and Education

Aumann was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and immigrated to United States with his family in 1938, where he attended the City College of New York and later earned his Bachelor's degree in mathematics from the same institution. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, under the supervision of George Whitehead. Aumann's early research was influenced by the works of Emmy Noether, David Hilbert, and Hermann Minkowski. He also drew inspiration from the research of André Weil, Laurent Schwartz, and Jean Dieudonné.

● Career

Aumann began his academic career as a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he has spent most of his career, and has also held visiting positions at Princeton University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Israel Science Foundation, and the European Research Council. Aumann has also collaborated with researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, and the California Institute of Technology. He has also been involved in research projects with the Santa Fe Institute, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

● Research and Contributions

Aumann's research has focused on the development of game theory and its application to economics, particularly in the areas of bargaining theory, repeated games, and stochastic games. His work has been influenced by the research of John Harsanyi, Reinhard Selten, and Eric Maskin. Aumann has also made significant contributions to the field of mechanism design, which was recognized by the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences awarded to Leonid Hurwicz, Eric Maskin, and Roger Myerson in 2007. His research has also been applied to the study of auction theory, contract theory, and information economics, areas in which researchers such as William Vickrey, James Mirrlees, and Joseph Stiglitz have made significant contributions.

● Awards and Honors

Aumann has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to economics and game theory, including the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2005, the Israel Prize in 1994, and the Harvey Prize in 1983. He has also been awarded honorary degrees from the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Tel Aviv University. Aumann is a fellow of the Econometric Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. He has also been recognized by the American Economic Association, the Game Theory Society, and the Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory.

● Personal Life

Aumann is an Orthodox Jew and has been involved in various initiatives to promote Jewish education and culture, including the Jerusalem College of Technology and the Institute for Advanced Torah Study. He has also been a strong supporter of the State of Israel and has served on the board of the Jerusalem Foundation. Aumann is married to Esther Schlesinger, and they have five children together. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities, including the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the World Jewish Relief. Aumann's work has been recognized by the Knesset, the Israeli government, and the Jewish Agency for Israel.