# Paul Cohen, solver of Hilbert's first problem, has passed away

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-cohen-solver-of-hilberts-first-problem-has-passed-away/398665
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 4, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-cohen-solver-of-hilberts-first-problem-has-passed-away/398665 "2007-04-04T02:35:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-cohen-solver-of-hilberts-first-problem-has-passed-away/398665/1 "2007-04-04T02:35:08Z")

</div>

[This](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cohen_%28mathematician%29) may set the record for obscure obituaries. Paul Cohen became one of the most notable mathematicians of the latter half of the twentieth century when he proved that the axiom of choice and the continuum hypothesis are both independent from the Zermelo-Fraenkel set axioms. He won a Fields medal (like a Nobel prize, but harder to get) for this discovery.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2007, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-cohen-solver-of-hilberts-first-problem-has-passed-away/398665/2 "2007-04-04T07:56:32Z")

</div>

Interesting

> [@ultrafilter](#):
>
> He won a Fields medal (like a Nobel prize, but harder to get) for this discovery.

Why is the Fields medal harder to get than a Nobel prize? Is it not awarded every year? Is the pool of possible winners that much larger?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-cohen-solver-of-hilberts-first-problem-has-passed-away/398665/3 "2007-04-04T11:03:57Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Cunctator]  
InterestingWhy is the Fields medal harder to get than a Nobel prize?  
[/QUOTE]  
It is awarded only every 4th year (though they can give up to 4 medals). It is restricted to the field of math. It is restricted to young mathematicians (age 40 or less).

The Nobel prizes are given in 6 fields, to people of any age, can be given every year, and can be given to more than 1 person in a year.

There have been only 48 people to receive a Fields Medal, while there have been 608 Nobel Prizes in that same period (since 1986),