The Mathematical Association of America has awarded Adrian Rice, the Dorothy and Muscoe Garnett Professor of Mathematics, with the Paul R. Halmos-Lester R. Ford Award. The prestigious prize recognizes the authors of the best articles published in The American Mathematical Monthly.

Rice earned the award for his article “‘The Riddle of the Ages’: James Joseph Sylvester and the Transcendence of π,” published in 2024. In exploring a forgotten paper by Sylvester, Rice detailed various mathematical concepts ranging from transcendental numbers to continued fractions. The article ends on a personal note, showing how Sylvester’s friends supported him after he published a flawed paper, revealing the human side of mathematical history.

“I am thrilled to receive this award from the MAA for a paper which I hope will introduce readers to a fascinating story from the history of mathematics in the closing years of the 19th century,” Rice said.

Rice is a prolific writer, having previously received the Halmos-Ford Award in 2019. He has also twice won the Catherine Richards Prize from The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications for articles published in Mathematics Today, as well as the George Polya Award from the MAA.