Canadian mathematician honoured for reshaping how the world moves resources and data

As artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and complex network optimization become increasingly central to modern society, the importance of mathematical foundations continues to grow. Mathematics rarely makes front-page news. Yet the ideas developed by mathematicians often underpin technologies and decision-making systems that affect everyday life. One such example is optimal transport theory, a mathematical field that began with a deceptively simple question: what is the most efficient way to move something from one place to another? Today, the theory influences subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence, economics, climate science, logistics, medical imaging, and machine learning. It is also the area of research that has earned Professor Robert McCann of the University of Toronto one of Canada’s most prestigious mathematical honours, the 2026 CRM–Fields–PIMS Prize.