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As part of the Café des Sciences at the École des Ponts ParisTech - November 30, 2012. A mathematician, Cédric Villani studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and defended his thesis in 1998 on the mathematical theory of the Boltzmann equation (Contribution to the mathematical study of gases and plasmas). An associate professor at the ENS Paris, he became a teacher-researcher at the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon. He is currently a professor at the University of Lyon I and, since 2009, he has directed the Henri-Poincaré Institute. His work focuses on kinetic theory (Boltzmann and Vlasov equations, and their variants) and optimal transport and its applications, which have led to the publication of various works: Entropy Methods for the Boltzmann Equation (Springer 2001), Topics in Optimal transportation (Springer 2003), Optimal Transport, old and new (Springer 2008). Cédric Villani's scientific contributions have been awarded in many instances, both nationally and internationally: European Mathematical Society Prize (2008), Fermat Prize and Henri-Poincaré Prize (2009), Fields Medal (2010)... A world-renowned scientist, Cédric Villani is particularly concerned with the dissemination of mathematics to a wide audience: he is involved in several actions with schools and high schools, through public conferences or through his participation in broadcasts and chronicles, scientific festivals... His latest work Théorème vivant, published by Grasset this summer 2012, is presented in the form of a story that reveals the world of mathematics and mathematicians by recounting the epic of the genesis of a theorem. A book signing session is organized at the end of the conference. The Café des Sciences at the École des Ponts ParisTech organizes meetings and discussions with scientific, political and cultural figures, recognized on the major challenges facing engineers today.