Benoit Mandelbrot is Sterling Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Yale University. He studied at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and the California Institute of Technology. He holds a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Paris. From 1958 to 1993, he was with IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center in New York, where he continues as IBM Fellow Emeritus.

Mandelbrot is known internationally as the "father of fractals," which impacts mathematics, diverse sciences, and arts, and is best appreciated as being the first broad attempt to investigate quantitatively the ubiquitous notion of roughness. His work has been recognized by numerous awards, including the 1993 Wolf Prize for Physics which cited him for "having changed our view of nature." In 2003 he was awarded the very prestigious Japan Prize by the Science and Technology Foundation of Japan, which recognizes "original and outstanding achievements that contribute to the progress of science and technology and the promotion of peace and prosperity of mankind."

For more information about his numerous awards, positions, and publications, visit: http://www.math.yale.edu/users/mandelbrot/