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Press Release Nr. 149 (English) - 14 July 1998, last updated 14 August
The International Congress of Mathematicians - World Congress
In August, Berlin will be the centre of the mathematical world. From 18th to 27th August, more than 3500 mathematicians from some 100 countries will be visiting the city for the International Congress of Mathematicians. This is the largest mathematical congress world-wide, and is one of the highlights of the mathematical calendar. The importance of the ICM '98 is enhanced by the award ceremony for the "Fields Medal", which is often referred to as the "Nobel Prize" for mathematics (at the opening meeting on 18th August 1998 in the International Congress Centre (ICC).
In addition to the scientific programme, which begins on 19 August in the Technical University Berlin, there will also be an extensive generalprogramme from 20 to 27 August in the Berlin Urania under the motto "Mathematics in everyday life". This programme is intended specifically for interested members of the general public.
For your advanced planning, we would like to inform you about the following dates for ICM '98:
1st Press conference for ICM '98
Date: Monday, 17 August 1998, 10.30 a.m.
Venue: Technical University (TU) Berlin, Strasse des 17.
Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Room H 1035
Talking to the press will be:
Please register by calling the PR Office of the TU Berlin (Dr. Kristina Zerges or Janny Glaesmer) under Tel. +49 30 314-22919 or -23922, by sending a fax to +49 30 314-23909, or by e-mail to: pressestelle@tu-berlin.de
2nd Press conference - Following the award ceremony for the Fields Medals and the Nevanlinna Prize there will be an opportunity to interview the five recipients. For obvious reasons we cannot yet announce who will be taking part in the press conference.
Date: Tuesday, 18 August 1998, 12.30 p.m.
Venue: International Congress Centre (ICC), Neue Kantstrasse/
Messedamm, 14055 Berlin, Galerie des Saal 2
Please register by calling the PR Office of the TU Berlin (Dr. Kristina Zerges or Janny Glaesmer) under Tel. +49 30 314-22919 or -23922, by sending a fax to +49 30 314-23909, or by e-mail to: pressestelle@tu-berlin.de
The World Congress begins on 18 August 1998 at 10.00 a.m. in the International Congress Centre (ICC). Following the opening ceremony, the Fields Medals - often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Mathematics" - will be presented. Two to four Fields Medals are awarded by the Mathematicians' Union every four years to outstanding mathematicians not older than 40 years of age. At the opening ceremony on 18 August 1998 in the International Congress Centre (ICC) the Nevanlinna Prize will also be awarded. This prize is for scientists working in the field of theoretical computer science. (More information about these awards under http://elib.zib.de/IMU/medals/index.html;internal&sk=D60C5976)
The main programme, which begins on 19 August 1998 at the Technical University Berlin, offers 180 presentations from all fields of mathematics - 21 of these are so-called plenary lectures. The speakers have already been selected. Naturally, the congress will be dealing with many mathematical topics which will only be of interest to specialists. However, even in the scientific programme there are various papers which are of more general interest. We have already produced a "Hit list" of some of these (Media information No. 95, 28 April 1998). More information, including the first abstracts, can be found on the congress web pages: http://elib.zib.de/ICM98, Plenary lectures are under: http://elib.zib.de/ICM98/B;internal&sk=D5892637).
A number of events specially for women mathematicians have been organised by "European Women in Mathematics". On Friday, 21 August 1998, at 7.30 p.m. there will be a podium discussion on: "Events and policies: Effects on women in mathematics". This will be followed by the film "Women and mathematics across cultures". On Saturday, 22 August, 11.00 a.m., Cathleen Synge Morawetz, Courant Institute, New York University, will deliver the "Emmy Noether Lecture" on the topic "Variations on Conservation Laws for the Wave Equation". (Emmy Noether, (1882 - 1935 ) was one of the first women professors of mathematics; see also: http://www.gss.tue.bw.schule.de/projekte/g-noether.html)
More information on this programme is available from Bettye Anne Case, E-Mail: case@math.fsu.edu or under: http://www.math.helsinki.fi/EWM
In addition to the ICM' 98 itself, there will also be more than 30 Satellite conferences before, during, and after the main event. Information is available under: http://www.exp-math.uni-essen.de/Events/around_icm.html
We would like to draw your attention to two satellite events:
Prior to the ICM '98, the General Assembly of the International Mathematicians Union (IMU) will be held in Dresden from 14 to 17 August 1998. 150 leading mathematicians from more than 60 countries will be attending. These delegates will be discussing the organisation of large international conferences, global exchange programmes, the promotion of mathematics in developing countries and passing resolutions relating to international training in mathematics, which will then be implemented in the member states. They will also be deciding on the venue of the next world congress.
Further information is available from Prof. Volker Nollau, Chairman of the local organising committee "General Assembly", Director of the Institute for Mathematical Stochastic of the TU Dresden, Tel.: +49 351 463-2425, Fax.: +49 351 463-7251. E-Mail: nollau@math.tu-dresden.de
Parallel to the ICM '98, from 17 to 22 August 1998 the Junior Mathematical Congress will be held at the University of Potsdam. Young people from 14 to 19 years-old with an interest in mathematics have been invited from all over Europe. The programme includes presentations from leading researchers from various mathematical fields, papers and presentations from participants and workshops on mathematics and its applications.
Further information is available from Dr. Marlen Frizsche, University of Potsdam, Institute of Mathematics, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469 Potsdam, Tel.: +49 3301 9771414, Fax: +49 3301 9771713, E-Mail: jmc98@rz.uni-potsdam.de
Within the context of the ICM '98, a satellite colloquium will be held in honour of Prof. Dr. Udo Simon's 60th birthday on Friday 28 August, starting at 15.30 h. Further information is available from Christine Scharlach, TU Berlin, Fachbereich 3 Mathematik, Arbeitsgruppe Geometrie, Tel.: (030) 314-25265, Fax: (030) 314-21577, E-Mail: cs@math.tu-berlin.de
1. TALKS - Mathematics in everyday life
from Thursday, August 20 to Thursday, August 27
Venue: Berlin Urania, Kleiststrasse 13-14, Berlin-Schöneberg
The entrance fee will be DM 6.00
The talks are intended to provide information about topics in mathematics that are of general interest to non-mathematicians as well as to the participants of the conference. Some of the talks will be in German, others in English, some speakers will try to present their talks so that they can be understood by both a German and an English-speaking audience.
2. EXHIBITIONS IN THE URANIA
Opening ceremony for all Urania Exhibitions
will be on 20 August 1998, 6.00 p.m. Immediately afterwards, at approx. 7.00 p.m. the VideoMath Festival will be opened.
Preview for the media: 20 August 1998, 11.00 a.m.
Opening times: 20 - 27 August 1998: daily 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.,
Sun. 23 Aug.: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Venue: Berlin Urania, Kleiststrasse 13-14, Berlin-Schöneberg
Entrance free
Exhibition "Hands on Mathematics"
The most important exhibition will be "Mathematik zum Anfassen" ("Hands on Mathematics"), organised by Professor Beutelspacher from the University of Giessen. It is intended for young people - mainly for school classes together with their teachers. Visitors will have the opportunity to perform mathematical experiments, to solve problems etc. (Further information under: http://www.math.de/ausstellung98/index.htm)
Exhibition: Mathematical stone sculptures
Stone sculptures will be presented by Klaus Becker (Klieve), produced on the basis of mathematical models. The artist will deliver two lectures in the Urania, on 21 August 1998, at 5.30 p.m. and on 27 August 1998, at 5.30 p.m. (see also the lectures under 1.).
Exhibitions: Mathematics and ceramics
Why mathematics and ceramics? Mathematics and art exercise a mutual attraction, but in particular ceramics offer artists many opportunities to represent mathematical phenomena: Ceramic objects are derived from geometrical forms or mathematical formulae are transformed into ceramic models, including surface effects, colours, glazing, etc. Most of the artists taking part have already exhibited works with mathematical themes, others will be presenting new works. Contributors include: Yasuo Hayashi (Japan), John M. Middlesmith (Great Britain/Germany), Hans-Peter Mader (Germany), Ricardo Escobedo (Mexico).
Exhibition of work from the schools competition "Art and mathematics"
"Present an image of four dimensions! Try to paint someone moving almost at the speed of light!" - These and similar problems had to be solved by Berlin school-children in their art lessons. The children have to enter works of art which relate to the topic "Mathematics". The prizes are being awarded by the organisers of the World Congress, who have intentionally kept the framework for entries as wide as possible. The award ceremony will be on 25 August 1998, 4.00 p.m. in the Urania. There will be three prizes of DM 500, DM 300 and DM 200.
3. The VideoMath FESTIVAL
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The best mathematical video films have been selected in an international competition and will be presented in the "VideoMath-Roll". In addition to the prize-winning short films, a number of longer videos will be shown, all in English. (The VideoMath Festival is sponsored by SiliconGraphics.)
Date: 20 - 27 August 1998
Venue: Berlin Urania, Kleiststrasse 13-14, Berlin-Schöneberg
The entrance fee is DM 6.00 for each performance.
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Terror and exile - The persecution and exile of mathematicians from Berlin between 1933 and 1945
The ICM '98 is taking place in Germany again for the first time in 94 years. This long inter-ruption also covered the period of the Third Reich, which cost more than 130 German mathematicians their position, their homeland, and some of them also their life. The Deutsche Mathematiker Vereinigung (DMV) has produced an exhibition in honour of the exiles from Berlin and the victims of the Nazi regime. It recalls the fate of more than forty mathematicians, as well as the political situation in the academic field and the effects on cultural life.
Preview for the media: 17 August 1998, approx. 12.00 noon
(following the 1st press conference)
Official opening: 19 August 1998, 12.15 p.m.
Opening times: 19 - 28 August 1998, Monday to Friday, 8
a.m. - 8 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Venue: Upper gallery of the central atrium of the TU Berlin,
Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin
Entrance free
Special Session -
Mathematics in the Third Reich and Racial and Political Persecution
Date: 25 August, 2 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Venue: TU Mathematics building, Strasse des 17. Juni 136, 10623 Berlin,
Room MA 004
Joel Lebowitz (Rutgers University): "Victims, Oppressors, Activists, and Bystanders: Scientist's Response
to Racial and Political Persecution"
Herbert Mehrtens (Technische Universität Braunschweig)
"Mathematics and Mathematicians in Nazi Germany. History and Memory"
Discussion chaired by Jochen Brüning (HU Berlin)
Darmstadt colloquium posters - Caricatures by Karl Heinrich Hofmann
The Mathematical Library of the Technical University Berlin has for several years not only housed books but also art exhibitions. The librarians, Dr. Iris Hahnemann and Bärbel Erler, have found a suitable topic for the ICM '98. Some 30 original posters are presented with caricatures of the Darmstadt professor of mathematics Karl Heinrich Hofmann. They have been produced in the course of preparation for mathematical colloquia at the TH Darmstadt.
Opening ceremony: 17 August 1998, 19.00 p.m.
Opening times: 18.8. to 19.9. 1998, Mon.-Fri., 9.00 a.m.
to 7.00 p.m.
Venue: TU Mathematics building, Strasse des 17. Juni 136,
10623 Berlin, Rooms MA 163-165
Entrance free
Book Exhibitions
Book, educational media, and computer software exhibits are to be found near the main lecture hall and in the large atrium in the main building of the university - open August 19-22 and 24-26 from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
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"Of Wo/Men and Mathematics. A publisher and its authors"
Springer publishers, Heidelberg, one of the world's leading scientific publishers with a large programme of mathematical literature has produced an exhibition of its famous authors, such as Albert Einstein, Emmy Noether and Karl Weierstrass. Exhibits include original lecture notes of the student Max Born, which were corrected by David Hilbert. The oldest award of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, the Helmholtz Medal, first awarded in 1892 to Karl Weierstrass, is also on display. Previously unpublished correspondence demonstrates the close cooperation between publisher and author. Other people featuring in the exhibition include Felix Klein, co-editor of the Mathematischen Annalen, which has been published by Springer since 1920, or John von Neumann, the founder of game theory. All the authors were important in their field and have made their own contribution to the history of science.
Opening times: 9 July to 2 September 1998, Monday to Friday,
8.00 a.m.- 8.00 p.m., Sat. until 3.00 p.m.
Venue: Foyer of the Kommode of Humboldt University, Unter
den Linden 9/11, 10117 Berlin
Entrance free
Further information can be obtained from: Prof. Martin Grötschel, Department of Mathematics, TU Berlin and Vice-President of the Konrad Zuse Centre for Information Technology Berlin (ZIB). Tel: +49 30 84185-210, e-mail: groetschel@zib.de; or Prof. Martin Aigner, Congress Public Relations, Tel: +49 30 838-75443, e-mail: aigner@math.fu-berlin.de. Also: Janny Glaesmer, Public Relations, TU Berlin, Tel. +49 30 314-22919, Fax -23909, e-mail: pressestelle@tu-berlin.de
Further information about the congress is available under: