Peter Lax,

He is known as one of the most versatile mathematicians of his generation. Lax is credited with many important contributions in the fields of fluid dynamics, solitonic physics and mathematical and scientific computing.”In 2005 Lax received math's equivalent to the Nobel Prize, the Abel Prize, and in 2006 the American Mathematical Society selected him to present the Gibbs Lecture. Applications of his work include oil flows in petroleum reservoirs and the motions of gases.