以表彰他們對數學物理廣泛及富影響力的貢獻
由弗拉基米爾・阿諾德（Vladimir Arnold）及安德雷柯爾．莫哥洛夫和于爾根．莫塞爾一起提出的「KAM理論」，對動力系統的穩定性，特別是對行星繞太陽運行的研究，作出了本質性的貢獻。這個著名的理論為後繼的發展提供了基礎。
阿諾德也在古典力學和拓撲問題的關聯方面提出了許多極具成果的觀點，這其中包括最近才有重要進展的著名「阿諾德猜想」。
Mathematics and Physics have, over the centuries, had a long and close relationship. The modern era was ushered in by Galileo who said that the laws of nature were written in the language of mathematics. This was taken a giant step forward by Isaac Newton who developed and applied calculus to the study of dynamics. From that time on the whole theoretical framework of physics has been formulated in terms of differential equations.
Both of the 2008 Shaw Laureates in the Mathematical Sciences,Vladimir Arnold and Ludwig Faddeev, are part of this great tradition. Arnold’s contributions are mainly in classical mechanics, emphasizing the geometrical aspects as developed over the centuries by Newton, Riemann and Poincare. Faddeev has been attracted more by the challenges of quantum theory and the algebraic formalism that is related to it.
