At 18, math prodigy begins Ph.D.

Arie Israel is spending his first week at Princeton like most of the other 18-year-olds on campus. He moved into his dorm room, got acquainted with his roommate and signed up for classes.

But while his counterparts are preparing to begin their undergraduate education, he is preparing for his Ph.D. in math.

Israel graduated from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) this summer as one of the youngest students ever to graduate from the university with a master's.

His adviser at FAU, Yoram Sagher, then contacted Charles Fefferman GS '69, a math professor at the University, about Israel's math abilities. After meeting and testing Israel, Fefferman recommended him for the Ph.D. program.

Israel is "remarkable," Sagher said. "The great thing about him is that he's so normal emotionally. This combination is really far rarer than any of his studies ... [He] does not have a swollen head."

The teenager has showed a remarkable aptitude in math from an early age. Homeschooled by his parents in Boca Raton, Fla., Israel said he whizzed through math textbooks faster than any other books during his studies.

"My mom said she knew that I was going to be doing math when I was 5," he said. "I was just good at it. I enjoyed doing it."

"He's always had an aptitude for quick calculation, since he was young," Israel's mother, Rebekah, said.

By the time Israel was 14, he had already completed calculus one and two. To proceed with his math education, Israel enrolled in an online course through MIT, which included video feeds of college lectures.

"I liked the fact that I was kind of in the classroom," he said. "I liked the idea of a teacher."

After completing the MIT program, Israel signed up for FAU's dual enrollment program, in which high school students can also take college courses. Since Israel had completed his high school education, he devoted all his time to FAU.

"They considered me in high school," he said. "But I was taking four classes a semester. I was doing a full load."

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With the help of Sagher, who realized Israel's rare abilities, FAU allowed Israel to skip undergraduate classes and go straight for a master's degree without obtaining a bachelor's. This, Israel said, "required some loopholes."

As a graduate student at FAU, Israel acted as a TA for math labs and also substituted when necessary for math professors.

"I made a mistake of telling my students how old I was," he said. "I had a bit of a discipline issue. After that, I didn't tell them my age."

When he was close to completing his master's degree, Israel began to think about attending Princeton for its Ph.D. program, which he said is "the best program in the world probably."

As a first year Ph.D. student, he said he's experiencing the same period of adjustment as other students who leave home for the first time.

"I guess I'm sad that I'm leaving, but overall happy that I'm going [here]," he said.

Israel's mother said she is happy with Arie's decision to come to Princeton.

"I'm glad that he's there because as a homeschooling mom, I want [my children] to achieve and to fulfill their abilities," she said. "I always directed them to do what they were gifted at."

Israel said he most looks forward to meeting new people. When he was 15, his best friend was 25, so he hopes he can now make friends with students in his age group.

"It just helps to think that everyone is in the same boat," he said. "I want to learn as much as I can and try my best."