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The historical importance of the Abel Prize as an international award in mathematics.

Table of Content

• What is the Abel Prize?
• The Abel Prize is established as the Nobel Prize in mathematics.
• The historical importance of establishing the Abel Prize.
• First Recipient of the Abel Prize.
• The historical significance of the Abel Prize.
• The almost-extinct concept of the prize has been revived.
• Nomination policy.
• Funding for the Prize.
• Conclusion. 

 

What is the Abel Prize?

The Abel Prize was established by the Norwegian government in 2002. This prestigious award is named after Norway's greatest mathematician, Liss Abel, and was established by the Norwegian Parliament in 2002 to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth. The Abel Prize is considered the Nobel Prize of mathematics. The Abel Prize was conceived as an annual award after Alfred Nobel established the Nobel Prize.

The Abel Prize is established as the Nobel Prize in mathematics

The Abel Prize was established in 2002 to honor outstanding international mathematicians worldwide. The Abel Prize, administered by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, is named after mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. Niels Henrik Abel was the world's greatest mathematician and left an indelible mark on the mathematical world. The Abel Prize was created as the international Nobel Prize in mathematics to promote the practice of mathematics worldwide and to enhance the status of mathematics in society, as well as to inspire young people. Any international award in society does not only recognize achievement, but is also given to honor ability, struggle, effort, and, above all, excellence.

The historical importance of establishing the Abel Prize--

The Abel Prize was first proposed in 1899 by the Norwegian mathematician Sophos Lie. Since mathematics was not included in the Nobel Prize category established by Alfred Nobel, the Abel Prize was created to honor the world's best mathematicians. However, after many delays and setbacks, the Norwegian government finally established the prize in 2001. It is awarded to mathematicians as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

First Recipient of the Abel Prize

The first Abel Prize was awarded in 2003 to the French mathematician Jean-Pierre Serre. He was awarded the inaugural Abel Prize for his work in algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, and algebraic number theory. He was also awarded the Fields Medal in 1954 and the Wolf Prize in 2000.

The historical significance of the Abel Prize-

The first and main proponent of the Abel Prize was the mathematician Sophos Lie, a renowned Norwegian mathematician. Before he died in 1899, he had established an international foundation by establishing a fund through which an Abel Prize would be awarded every five years to great mathematicians who had made an outstanding mark on the world of mathematics. Sophos Lie had earnestly desired that all his accounts be inspired by the collection for the Nansen Fund. Which was certainly done according to Alfred Nobel's annual plan. Sophos Lie, as well as the leading centers of mathematics in Europe, had overwhelmingly supported the establishment of the Abel Prize. But with Sophos Lie's death, the efforts to establish this prize also faded. Later, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, mathematicians Carl Störmer and Ludwig Sillö, all worked together to create the rules and regulations for the prize. The dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway in 1905 effectively put an end to any further plans for the Abel Prize. The famous polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen lamented that it was not financially feasible for Norway to establish an independent Abel Fund, despite the support of international mathematical circles. In 1906, the mathematician Elling wrote in a letter to Holster that the hope of the Abel Prize had vanished with the union with our beloved King Oscar.

The almost-extinct concept of the prize has been revived-

The year 2000 was designated as the International Year of Mathematics by the International Mathematical Union, with the support of UNESCO, and the renowned mathematician Abel was Norway's leading figure at the time. Abel's bicentenary was celebrated as a central figure in Norway, and various national and international initiatives were launched to commemorate his life and work, to promote the importance of mathematics and science.

A working group was formed to develop a plan for the Abel Prize, led by Professors Jens Erik, Fenstedt, Arnfin Laudal and Ragni Pini, as well as other university staff and departments. At the time, the idea received widespread support not only from Norwegian officials but also from prominent figures in academia, business and culture, and international mathematical organizations supported the proposal. The proposal for the Abel Prize was formally submitted to the Norwegian Prime Minister on 23 May 2001.

Nomination policy -

Although self-nomination is not permitted, anyone can submit a nomination for the Abel Prize, but the nominee must be living; a deceased person will never be accepted. However, if the nominee dies after the winner is announced, the prize will be awarded posthumously. The Abel Prize is announced each year in March by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, based on a proposal from the Abel Committee. The nomination process is carried out by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, the International Mathematical Union, and the European Mathematical Society.

Funding for the Prize -

Currently, the prize is financed directly from the national budget, but in 2001 the Norwegian government established a fund of NOK 200 million (approximately 21.7 million) to fund the prize. The funding is now controlled by a board, which is composed of members selected by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Year	University country name	Name	Achievement
2003	France	Jean-Pierre Serre	Topology, algebraic geometry, and number theory
2004	USA/ Scotland	Isadore M. Singer / Michael AtiyahIsadore Singer	For the proof of the index theorem, combining topology, geometry, and analysis, and combining mathematics and theoretical physics.
2005	USA	Peter Lax	Theory of partial differential equations
2006	Sweden	Lennart Carleson	Harmonic analysis and smooth dynamic systems
2007	USA	S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan	To create a unified theory of large deviations.
2008	France/ Florida	John G. Thompson/Jacques Tits	For the formation of algebra and especially modern group theory.
2009	France	Mikhail Gromov	For outstanding contributions to geometry
2010	USA	John Tate	For having a lasting influence on number theory
2011	USA	John Milnor	For his discoveries in topology, geometry, and algebra
2012	USA	Endre Szemerédi	For contributions to discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science and to additive number theory and ergodic theory
2013	USA	Pierre Deligne	"For his fundamental contributions to algebraic geometry
2014	USA	Yakov Sinai	For his fundamental contributions to dynamical systems, ergodic theory and mathematical physics
2015	USA	John Forbes Nash Jr.Louis Nirenberg	For his discoveries in nonlinear partial differential equations and geometric analysis
2016	England	Andrew Wiles	He proved Fermat's Last Theorem by proving the modularity conjecture for semistable elliptic curves.
2017	France	Yves Meyer	His contribution to the development of the mathematical theory of waves is undeniable.
2018	USA	Robert Langlands	He linked representation theory with number theory.
2019	USA	Karen Uhlenbeck	For his groundbreaking contributions to the geometry of partial differential equations, gauge theory, integrable systems and analysis, with their profound influence on geometric and mathematical physics.
2020	USA/ Israel	Hillel FurstenbergGrigory Margulis/ Gregory Margulis.	For pioneering contributions to group theory, number theory and combinatorics.
2021	USA/ Hungary	László LovászAvi Wigderson	For his fundamental contributions to theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics.
2022	USA	Dennis Sullivan	For his pioneering work in topology, especially in its algebraic, geometric and dynamical aspects.
2023	USA	Luis Caffarelli	For his original contributions to the theory of regularity in nonlinear partial differential equations.
2024	France	Michel Talagrand	For his outstanding contributions to mathematical physics and statistics.

 

Conclusion -

The Abel Prize stands as a landmark recognition in the world of mathematics, symbolizing the highest honor a mathematician can receive for their ground breaking contributions to the field. The prize is considered an international beacon for excellence in mathematics. The prize was created to commemorate the legacy of the world-renowned mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. The Abel Prize was created to celebrate the achievements of the world's leading mathematicians and fill the void left by the Nobel Prize for Mathematics. The Abel Prize was established by the Norwegian government to inspire a new generation of mathematicians and to make further progress in mathematics.

1. What is the Abel Prize?

The Abel Prize is a prestigious international award given annually for mathematics. The Norwegian government established the award. It consists of a monetary award and a medal to recognize excellence in mathematical research.

2. Who from India won the Abel Prize in which year?

Srinivasa S. R. Varadhan, an Indian mathematician, won the Abel Prize in 2007.

3. Who recently got the Abel Prize?

Michel Talagrand wins the 2024 Abel Prize.

4. How much is the Abel Prize?

The Abel Prize is worth 7.5 million Norwegian kroner. That's just over £622,000 today.

5. How are the winners chosen?

The Abel Committee, consisting of five leading mathematicians, is the body that recommends the winners.

6. In which month are the winners announced?

Every year in March.

7. Who was the first woman to win the Abel Prize?

Karen Uhlenbeck was the first woman to win the Abel Prize in 2019

8. Can a candidate be nominated for the Abel Prize?

Anyone can nominate a candidate. However, self-nominations are not allowed.