According to a release by the Abel Prize committee "Many of the major lines of research in algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry are only possible because of the incisive contributions and illuminating insights of John Tate.
Menurut penjelasan panitia Penghargaan Abel "Banyak hal penting sehubungan dengan teori bilangan aljabar dan geometri aritmetika hanya dapat dilakukan atas kontribusi dan pemikiran cemerlang dari John Tate.