This year's Abel Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in mathematics, has gone to Endre Szemerédi, a pure mathematician who has provided a number of results that have been important in computer science. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters established the Abel Prize, which is worth 6 million Norwegian kroner (around $1 million US) in 2003. It has been awarded to Endre Szemerédi, "for his fundamental contributions to discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science, and in recognition of the profound and lasting impact of these contributions on additive number theory and ergodic theory".