Born 29 June 1951 in Heidelberg, Germany.

Education and professional career

• 1966-1968 : Studies at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
• 1968 : Bachelor of Sciences in Mathematics ; Bachelor of Sciences in Physics
• 1969 : Diploma of Advanced Mathematics, Oxford University
• 1972 : D. Phil, Oxford University
• 1975 : Habilitation, Universität Bonn
• 1976- : Außerplanmäßiger Professor, Universität Bonn
• 1979-1990 : Chair Professor of Number Theory, University of Maryland
• 1995- : Scientific Member at the Max-Planck-Institut für Mathematik, Bonn
• 1990-1993 : Professor, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
• 1990-2001 : Professor, Universiteit Utrecht
• 1995- : Scientific Member and Director,Max Planck Institute, Bonn
• 2001-2014 : Professor, Collège de France, Number Theory Chair

After working in the fields of topology and algebraic geometry, Don Zagier turned his attention to number theory and the theory of modular forms.

In collaboration with Benedict Gross (Harvard), he solved the " problem of numbers of classes " posed in 1801 by the German mathematician Gauss.

With Martin Eichler (Basel), he developed the theory of " Jacobi forms ", which has proved very useful in several fields of mathematics and theoretical physics

Awards and honours

• 1983 : Carus Medal of the Leopoldina Academy, Halle, GDR
• 1984 : Carus Prize, Schweinfurt, FRG
• 1987 : Frank Nelson Cole Prize in Number Theory, AMS
• 1988 : Honorary member, Mathematische Gesellschaft in Hamburg
• 1993 : Member of the Academia Europaea
• 1996 : Prix Elie Cartan Académie des sciences
• 1997 : Foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy
• 1999 : Member of the Leopoldina Academy
• 1999 : Chauvenet Prize, Mathematical Association of America
• 2000 : Karl Georg Christian von Staudt Prize, Haupt Foundation
• 2001 : Member of the Nordrhein-Westfalen Academy of Sciences