Dr. Yu-Ru Liu to receive the 2026 Krieger-Nelson Prize

The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Yu-Ru Liu (University of Waterloo) has been named the recipient of the 2026 Krieger-Nelson Prize. The prize is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding research contributions by a mathematician who identifies as a woman.

Dr. Liu is an internationally recognized mathematician whose work has had an important impact on analytic number theory, particularly in the study of number theory over function fields. Her research addresses deep questions about the distribution of arithmetic objects and explores analogies between classical problems over the integers and their counterparts in polynomial rings over finite fields.

Dr. Liu received her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Harvard University in 2003 under the supervision of Dr. Barry Mazur. She previously earned her master’s degree from Queen’s University under the supervision of Dr. Ram Murty, after completing her undergraduate studies at McGill University, where she was academically guided by Dr. Henri Darmon. She joined the University of Waterloo in 2003 and was promoted to full professor in 2013.

Her research includes major advances on Waring’s problem in function fields, where she developed new techniques that removed long-standing restrictions related to the characteristic of the field. Her work in this area, including influential collaborations with Dr. Trevor Wooley and other leading researchers, has reshaped the use of the circle method in positive characteristic settings and opened new directions for future research. She has also made important contributions to probabilistic number theory, including generalizations of classical results such as the Erdős-Kac Theorem, as well as work on elliptic curves, Drinfeld modules, and additive combinatorics.

“Her mathematical results are important, creative, technically difficult, and often surprising.”

“Over more than two decades, Yu-Ru Liu has emerged as one of the leading figures in analytic number theory, with contributions that continue to influence the direction of the field.”

Dr. Liu has authored more than forty research papers in leading journals. Her scholarship has been recognized with several honours, including the 2005 CMS G. de B. Robinson Award for an outstanding paper published in the Canadian Mathematical Bulletin.

In addition to her research achievements, Dr. Liu is deeply committed to mentorship and education. She has received multiple teaching and service awards from the University of Waterloo. Over the course of her career, she has supervised a large number of students at all levels, including more than 60 undergraduate research students, over 30 graduate students, and numerous postdoctoral fellows. Many of her former students now hold academic and research positions in Canada and internationally. Her supervision is recognized by her colleagues and students for its rigour, generosity, and long-term impact on student development. 

“Through her vision, energy, and generosity, she has shaped the next generation of mathematical talent in Canada and internationally.”

Dr. Liu has also played a significant leadership role within the mathematical community. She currently serves as Chair of the Women in Mathematics Committee of the CMS and is Director of the Women in Mathematics Committee at the University of Waterloo, where she has expanded research opportunities, mentorship programs, and professional development initiatives for students. Under her leadership, the program has launched new initiatives, strengthened existing ones, and fostered a strong sense of community across career stages. These efforts have been recognized with major equity and inclusion awards at both the faculty and university levels.

Dr. Liu will receive the Krieger-Nelson prize at the 2026 CMS Summer Meeting, in Saint John (NB), where she will also deliver a prize lecture.

The Canadian Mathematical Society congratulates Dr. Yu-Ru Liu on this well-deserved honour.

About the Krieger-Nelson Prize
The Krieger-Nelson Prize, jointly named for Cecilia Krieger and Evelyn Nelson was first awarded in 1995. It was inaugurated to recognize outstanding contributions in the area of mathematical research by a mathematician who identifies as a woman.

For more information, visit the Krieger-Nelson Prize page.

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)
The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics. The Society’s activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements. The CMS is a registered non-profit, charitable organization and depends on grants, funding, and generous donations from sponsors, benefactors and community members to be able to carry out its activities.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Susan Cooper (uManitoba) Chair, CMS Research Committee Canadian Mathematical Society chair-resc@cms.math.ca

or

Dr. Termeh Kousha Executive Director Canadian Mathematical Society tkousha@cms.math.ca