EPFL mathematician Clément Hongler has received a 2026 Frontiers of Science Award from the International Congress of Basic Science for research that helped shape the mathematical foundations of modern neural networks and machine learning.The International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) is an international scientific meeting dedicated to mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer and information sciences. In 2023, the congress established the Frontiers of Science Award to recognize major recent scientific breakthroughs across these fields.Professor Clément Hongler of EPFL’s Institute of Mathematics, together with his co-authors Arthur Jacot and Franck Gabriel, has now received a 2026 Frontiers of Science Award for their contributions to theoretical computer science.The award recognizes the paper Neural Tangent Kernel: Convergence and Generalization in Neural Networks. The work was selected in the category “Theoretical Computer Science” for its contributions to the mathematical understanding of neural networks and machine learning.According to the ICBS, the award recognizes recent papers that represent major breakthroughs in their respective fields. Awardees are selected through an international nomination and review process conducted by panels of leading experts.The award-winning paper helped advance the theoretical understanding of how neural networks learn and generalize. The concept of the “neural tangent kernel” has become an important framework in modern machine learning theory, connecting deep learning with classical mathematical methods.The award ceremony will take place during the International Congress of Basic Science in Beijing in August 2026, where researchers from around the world will gather for lectures and presentations across mathematics, physics, and theoretical computer science. (bimsa.cn)The official award notification states “On behalf of the ICBS, we offer our warmest congratulations on this extraordinary achievement.”