The Abel Prize is named after Niels Henrik Abel, Norway’s greatest mathematician throughout the times. Abel left lasting marks on the mathematical world. His mathematics have served as a base for a number of major technological breakthroughs, there amongst the development of the internet. The Abel Prize was established by the Norwegian Parliament (The Storting) in 2002, on the occasion the 200-year anniversary of his birth.
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The History of the Abel Prize
The Abel Prize is awarded annually to outstanding international mathematicians. The prize was established by the Norwegian Government in 2002, and is managed by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
It took more than 100 years to have a prize named after the mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. The first eager proponent of establishing an Abel Prize was the mathematician Sophus Lie, Norway’s other world-renowned mathematician. Before his death in 1899, one of the last things he used his international prestige for was to gather support for establishing a fund that would award an Abel Prize every five years for outstanding work in pure mathematics. Lie’s effort was, by all accounts, inspired by the ongoing collection for the Nansen Fund and certainly by the fact that Alfred Nobel’s plans for annual prizes, made known in 1897, lacked a prize in mathematics.
The Abel Prize Committee
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters appoints the members of The Abel Prize Committee, based on nominations from the International Mathematical Union and the European Mathematical Society.
The Abel Prize Committee consists of five outstanding research scientists in the field of mathematics. Both Norwegian and non-Norwegian citizens may be members of the committee. The members of the Abel Prize Committee are appointed for a period of two years and may be reappointed once.
The Abel Prize Committee shall:
- Review the nominated candidates for the Abel Prize
- Submit a recommendation to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Abel Board
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters awards the Abel Prize each year on behalf of the Norwegian Government.
The Abel Board consists of five members appointed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters on recommendation from:
- The Norwegian Academy’s own group of mathematicians
- The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
- UHR: Universities Norway
The Secretary General of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a Board observer.
The Abel Board’s main tasks are to:
- be responsible for the mathematical events and measures related the prize
- implement measures aimed at stimulating the interest in mathematics among children and young people
- propose a budget and annual plan for the Abel prize, which are presented to the Board of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
Statutes for Niels Henrik Abel’s Prize in Mathematics (The Abel Prize)
Adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on April 11, 2002, with amendments as late as 10 December 2013.
- The main objective of the Abel Prize is to recognize pioneering scientific achievements in mathematics. The Prize shall also help boost the status of the field of mathematics in society and stimulate children and youth to become interested in mathematics.
- The Abel Prize is administered by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Research. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters shall ensure a broad support for the Prize and associated activities by involving relevant domestic and international players and milieus in the work.
- The Abel Prize is financed through the national budget by means of a grant from the Ministry of Education and Research to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. This grant shall be utilised for:
– the award to the prize winner
– events in connection with the awarding of the prize
– activities aimed at children and youth
- The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters reports each year to the Ministry of Education and Research with regard to the use of these funds. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters may organize its work on the Abel Prize in any way they deem appropriate as long as they comply with these statutes.
- The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters appoints a prize committee (the Abel Committee). This committee shall be composed of five prominent researchers in the field of mathematics.
The committee shall have at least three foreign members. The Abel Committee’s chair is appointed for a term of four years, whereas the other members are appointed for a term of two years and may be reappointed one time. If a member must withdraw before his/her term has expired, a new member will be appointed for the remainder of that term.
The Abel Committee shall propose candidates for the Prize in a recommendation to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
- The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters selects a prize winner on the basis of the recommendation from the Abel Committee.
If the Abel Committee does not find a worthy prize winner in a particular year, the Prize shall not be awarded that year. The funds for the prize winner shall then be returned to the Ministry of Education and Research.
- The statutes for Niels Henrik Abel’s Prize in Mathematics may be amended by the Ministry of Education and Research.
- The Prize is 7,5 million Norwegian Kroner
- The Prize is awarded by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, on behalf of the Ministry of Education
- The Abel Committee, consisting of five leading mathematicians from throughout the world, holds the task of appraising nominated candidates and recommend a worthy winner
Abel Prize ceremony in the Oslo University aula.
Inspiring mathematical interest in children and youth
The Abel Prize supports a number of measures directed towards stimulating the interest in mathematics among children and young people. Among these are mathematics competitions for children and teenagers, and a mathematics teacher prize.
For the full details, please refer to the source.
Explore our other articles on the Abel Prize, its laureates, and their research findings.
Source:
https://abelprize.no/page/about-abel-prize
