IMU Prizes of ICM 2010

International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2010 is the largest conference for the topic of mathematics. This ICM meets once every four years, hosted by the International Mathematical Union (IMU) and IMU Prizes were awarded. This year International Congress of Mathematicians, ICM 2010 will be inaugurated at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). The Fields Medals, the Nevanlinna Prize, the Gauss Prize, and the Chern Medal Award are awarded during the congress’ opening ceremony. Each congress is memorialized by a printed learned Proceedings recording academic papers based on invited talks intended to be relevant to current topics of general interest.

President Pratibha Patil arrived on August 18, 2010 in city for ICM 2010 to inaugurate the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM 2010) at HICC today on August 19, 2010 (Thursday). She was received at Begumpet airport by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and his Cabinet colleagues J. Geeta Reddy, Sabita Indra Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, R. Venkat Reddy, Sunita Laxma Reddy and D.K. Aruna. Legislative Council chairman A. Chakrapani, Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad and Director General of Police R.R. Girish Kumar were also present.

ICM 2010 will also be remembered for hosting the first ever International Congress of Women Mathematicians. Some 300 women are participating in the congress, breaking the old myth that women cant handle maths. For the first time in the history of the ICM, two sessions will be open to public, at the Global Peace Auditorium, Shanti Sarovar Campus, Gachibowli. On August 23, students from 60 schools will be listening to lecture by Bill Barton from University of Auckland and Gunter Ziegler from the Berlin Maths School. On August 24, Viswanathan Anand will play a game of chess with 40 mathematicians. Though the event is not open to public, it will underline the origin of chess in India.

The entire mathematics community eagerly awaits the announcement, at the opening of the ICM 2010, of the Fields Medals (started in 1936) and the Nevanlinna Prize (started in 1982). At the 2006 Congress another award, the Gauss Prize, was added. A new award, the Chern Prize, will be given for the first time in Hyderabad.

The IMU has been awarding the Fields Medals- generally considered the “Nobel Prize for mathematics” – since 1936, the Nevanlinna Prize in the field of theoretical computer science since 1982, and the Gauss Prize for applied mathematical work since 2006. The Fields Medals and the Nevanlinna Prize are given to young researchers below 40 years of age, in recognition of specific path breaking results. The Gauss Prize recognizes mathematical results that have opened new areas of practical applications.

IMU awarded its 2006 prizes on August 22, 2006 during the Opening ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians in Madrid, Spain.

Chern Medal Award – a new prize in mathematics

In addition to the above three prizes, a new prize – the Chern Medal Award – will be awarded jointly with the Chern Medal Foundation (CMF), for the first time at the opening ceremony of ICM 2010, Hyderabad, India on August 19, 2010 to an individual whose lifelong outstanding achievements in the field of mathematics warrant the highest level of recognition.

The Award is established in memory of the outstanding mathematician Shiing-Shen Chern (1911, Jiaxing, China – 2004, Tianjin, China).