Ono announced his decision on his personal Facebook page on 4/12. "Life update: I will be leaving the University of Virginia to embark on an exciting mathematical and AI adventure," he wrote.
The adventure Ono referred to is his new role as Founding Mathematician at Axiom Math, a startup located in Silicon Valley, California. The company was founded this year by Carina Hong, a Chinese-American math prodigy and Ono's former student.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Axiom is named after a mathematical term for a fundamental truth that forms the basis of an entire mathematical theory. The startup aims to build an "AI mathematician" capable of reasoning through known problems, discovering new ones, and using evidence to validate its work.
At Axiom, Ono is responsible for developing representative problems that can only be solved by understanding mathematical principles. He will also draft performance metrics for the system and guide Axiom's models.
Ono shared that he initially underestimated AI when the technology first emerged. However, witnessing the technology's rapid advancement changed his perspective, leading him to join Axiom to participate in "transforming how the world works."
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Mathematician Ken Ono. Photo: UVA College Foundation |
According to Ono's statements on the University of Virginia website, he grew up in a Japanese immigrant family. Despite his innate talent for mathematics, he dropped out of high school due to parental pressure to excel in the subject.
With the help of psychologist Julian Stanley at the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University, Ono was able to enroll at the University of Chicago in 1985. He graduated four years later with a grade point average (GPA) of only 2,7/4,0.
After graduation, Ono pursued a master's degree in mathematics at the University of California-Los Angeles, primarily to avoid returning home. During this time, discussions with his advisor, Professor Basil Gordon, rekindled his passion for mathematics. He continued his studies, earning a doctoral degree in 1993.
Since then, Ono has taught at several leading US universities, including the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, before joining the University of Virginia in 2019.
Throughout his career, Ono has been a prominent number theorist, known for his research on Ramanujan congruences, the Umbral Moonshine conjecture, and other key areas of number theory. He is widely regarded as a "great role model" in mathematics.
He also gained attention in the swimming community for his work with athletes, analyzing minute details of swimming techniques to optimize performance.
Additionally, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of Springer Nature Journal, a member of the US National Committee for Mathematics, a board member of the American Mathematical Society, and a STEM advisor to the University of Virginia Provost.
Ono has also led advanced research programs for talented undergraduate students. His students have won two Breakthrough Mirzakhani Prizes, 10 Morgan Prizes, nine Schafer Prizes, and two Rhodes Scholarships – some of the most prestigious awards for mathematics students and researchers.
Among them, Axiom CEO Carina Hong, Ono's new boss, notably won the Morgan Prize, Schafer Prize, and a Rhodes Scholarship.
Although he has ceased teaching, Ono will continue to remotely oversee research and students at the University of Virginia. Responding to suggestions that his career shift is a "loss for mathematics," Ono affirmed on LinkedIn that he "will be doing more math" than ever before.
Khanh Linh (Compiled)
