以表彰他们对数学物理广泛及富影响力的贡献
由弗拉基米尔・阿诺德（Vladimir Arnold）及安德雷柯尔．莫哥洛夫和于尔根．莫塞尔一起提出的「KAM理论」，对动力系统的稳定性，特别是对行星绕太阳运行的研究，作出了本质性的贡献。这个著名的理论为后继的发展提供了基础。
阿诺德也在古典力学和拓扑问题的关联方面提出了许多极具成果的观点，这其中包括最近才有重要进展的著名「阿诺德猜想」。
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.
