Hungarian wins top mathematics prize

Hungarian Endre Szemeredi has won the Abel prize, considered to be the "Nobel" for mathematics, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters announced on Wednesday.

Szemeredi, 71, who works both at the Hungarian Alfred Renyi Institute of Mathematics and at the US Rutgers university's department of computer sciences, was awarded the prize for his work in so-called discrete mathematics, the study of mathematical structures.

"Endre Szemeredi revolutionised discrete mathematics by introducing original and ingenious techniques, and solving a number of fundamental problems," the academy said in a statement.

The prize, worth some 800,000 euros ($1.05 million), will be awarded to Szemeredi on May 22 in Oslo by King Harald of Norway.