Abel Prize

Abel Prize
Portrait of Niels Henrik Abel
Awarded forOutstanding scientific work in the field of mathematics
CountryNorway
Presented byGovernment of Norway
First awarded2003
Websitewww.abelprize.no

The Abel Prize (/ˈɑːbəl/ AH-bəl; Norwegian: Abelprisen [ˈɑ̀ːbl̩ˌpriːsn̩]) is awarded annually by the King of Norway to one or more outstanding mathematicians.[1] It is named after the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829) and directly modeled after the Nobel Prizes;[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] as such, it is widely considered the Nobel Prize of Math.[9] It comes with a monetary award of 7.5 million Norwegian kroner (NOK; increased from 6 million NOK in 2019).

The Abel Prize's history dates back to 1899, when its establishment was proposed by the Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie when he learned that Alfred Nobel's plans for annual prizes would not include a prize in mathematics. In 1902, King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway indicated his willingness to finance the creation of a mathematics prize to complement the Nobel Prizes, but the establishment of the prize was prevented by the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905. It took almost a century before the prize was finally established by the Government of Norway in 2001, and it was specifically intended "to give the mathematicians their own equivalent of a Nobel Prize."[7] The laureates are selected by the Abel Committee, the members of whom are appointed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

The award ceremony takes place in the aula of the University of Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded between 1947 and 1989.[10] The Abel Prize board has also established an Abel symposium, administered by the Norwegian Mathematical Society, which takes place twice a year.[11]

  1. ^ "Statutes for Niels Henrik Abel's Prize in Mathematics (The Abel Prize)". Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  2. ^ Chang, Kenneth (20 March 2018). "Robert P. Langlands Is Awarded the Abel Prize, a Top Math Honor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  3. ^ Dreifus, Claudia (29 March 2005). "From Budapest to Los Alamos, a Life in Mathematics". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  4. ^ Cipra, Barry A. (26 March 2009). "Russian Mathematician Wins Abel Prize". ScienceNOW. Archived from the original on 29 March 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  5. ^ Laursen, Lucas (26 March 2009). "Geometer wins maths 'Nobel'". Nature. doi:10.1038/news.2009.196. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  6. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (31 May 2009). "In N.Y.U.'s Tally of Abel Prizes for Mathematics, Gromov Makes Three". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  7. ^ a b Devlin, Keith (April 2004). "Abel Prize Awarded: The Mathematicians' Nobel". Mathematical Association of America. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  8. ^ Piergiorgio Odifreddi; Arturo Sangalli (2006). The Mathematical Century: The 30 Greatest Problems of the Last 100 Years. Princeton University Press. p. 6. ISBN 0-691-12805-7. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  9. ^ "Abel Prize Winners | Alfred P. Sloan Foundation". sloan.org. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  10. ^ "University of Oslo". Oslo Opera House. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  11. ^ "Main Page". The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2012.