Luna Lomonaco wins IMSA Prize for young mathematicians

IMPA researcher Luna Lomonaco was the winner of the “IMSA for Young Mathematician Award”, an international prize awarded to young mathematicians with outstanding contributions. The award ceremony was held on Wednesday (28) in Miami (USA).

“I am honored to receive this award from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences of the Americas and I thank the committee for this recognition. When I started studying mathematics, I would never have imagined that one day I would receive awards. My path was quite difficult – and highly non-linear. For this reason, I would like to thank all the people who have believed in me over the years, to the point where I eventually started to believe in myself. I strongly believe that mathematics is about understanding, and that you can’t truly understand something without first believing that you can,” said Luna.

Created by the Institute of Mathematical Sciences of the Americas (IMSA), the award recognizes young researchers up to the age of 45 who have produced relevant and innovative work in mathematics, as well as encouraging female participation in science. The distinction has been awarded annually since 2024 and has gained international prominence for highlighting promising academic trajectories.

In the field of Dynamical Systems and Ergodic Theory, Luna’s work in complex dynamics has been outstanding, with original contributions that have helped to reactivate and boost an area of research. One of his most recent works – in partnership with Shaun Bullett and Carsten Petersen – led to the resolution of important conjectures and attracted the interest of researchers from different countries and also from areas close to physics, making the topic one of the most active today within one-dimensional dynamics.

The award ceremony took place at the Mathematical Waves Miami (MWM) conference at the University of Miami in the United States. Participating remotely in the event, Luna presented the lecture “Algebraic correspondences: where rational dynamics meets Kleinian groups”.

“I’d like to dedicate this award to all women in mathematics. I know it’s hard – even though it’s also beautiful – but keep trying, keep believing: you belong,” said Luna.

In receiving the IMSA Prize for Young Female Mathematician, Luna joins a select group of young researchers recognized for their scientific impact and potential for academic leadership on the continent. In 2024, Marcelo Viana, director-general of IMPA, was awarded the IMSA Established Mathematician Award.