International Mathematical Union

International Mathematical Union
Name	International Mathematical Union
Founded	1920; reorganized 1950
Type	International non-governmental organization
Purpose	Promotion of international cooperation in mathematics, development of mathematical research, support for young mathematicians
Headquarters	Berlin
President	Maryna Viazovska

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International Mathematical Union

The International Mathematical Union is an international scholarly organization that promotes international cooperation in mathematics and supports the worldwide development of mathematical sciences. Founded in the aftermath of World War I and reconstituted after World War II, the Union facilitates contact among mathematicians through its role in organizing the International Congress of Mathematicians, awarding major prizes, and coordinating with national mathematical societies such as the American Mathematical Society, the London Mathematical Society, and the Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung.

History

The Union was originally established in 1920 during the aftermath of Treaty of Versailles negotiations and was suspended during the turmoil preceding World War II; it was reconstituted in 1950 amid reconstruction comparable to efforts led by United Nations bodies and scientific restorations like those championed by Albert Einstein and David Hilbert. Early patrons and influential figures included members of the Royal Society, contributors associated with the École Normale Supérieure, and scholars linked to the University of Göttingen, Princeton University, and the École Polytechnique. During the Cold War the Union navigated interactions involving delegations from the Soviet Union, the United States, and the People's Republic of China, managing scientific diplomacy analogous to exchanges between the National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Key historical gatherings paralleled conferences like the Bourbaki Seminar and meetings at institutions such as the Institute for Advanced Study and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics.

The Union is governed by an Executive Committee elected by its General Assembly, a structure reminiscent of governing bodies of the International Council for Science and the European Mathematical Society. National adhering organizations, including the Canadian Mathematical Society, the Sociedad Matemática Mexicana, the Indian Mathematical Society, and the Australian Mathematical Society, hold voting rights comparable to membership in the Royal Society of London. Individual mathematicians participate through commissions and committees alongside representatives from institutions such as the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, the Clay Mathematics Institute, and the Fields Institute. The Union collaborates with regional groups like the African Mathematical Union, the South American Mathematical Society, and the Asian Mathematical Society to expand access to research networks and initiatives similar to collaborations between the European Research Council and national funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation.

The Union coordinates large-scale projects, commissions, and research programs with counterparts like the International Council of Scientific Unions and partners such as the International Statistical Institute. It sponsors programs for capacity building, professional development, and curriculum enhancement that echo initiatives by the International Organization for Standardization in scholarly standardization. Publishing activities include proceedings from the International Congress of Mathematicians, reports affiliated with the Committee on Electronic Information and Communication, and collaborative volumes in the style of publications by the Cambridge University Press and the Springer-Verlag family. The Union issues statements on ethics and practice in the vein of guidelines from the World Health Organization and maintains liaison with bibliographic services such as those run by the Mathematical Reviews and the Zentralblatt MATH editorial teams.

The Union organizes the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), a congress with historical prestige akin to the Nobel Prize ceremonies in visibility for the mathematical community and held in cities including Zurich, Oslo, Stockholm, Prague, Kyoto, Helsinki, Madrid, Berlin, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro. ICM sessions attract speakers associated with institutions such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, University of Paris-Saclay, and the University of Tokyo. The Congress includes plenary lectures, sectional lectures tied to fields represented at centers like the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, and ceremonial events paralleling other major scholarly convocations such as the International Astronomical Union assemblies.

The Union awards several major prizes presented at the ICM, including the Fields Medal, the Abel Prize liaison collaborations, and the Nevalinna Prize (historical), with ties to philanthropic and institutional sponsors such as the Niels Henrik Abel Memorial Fund, the International Science Council, and foundations in the spirit of the Simons Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation. It also confers the Chern Medal and supports accolades that recognize achievements comparable to those honored by the Wolf Prize and the Shaw Prize. Prize selection involves committees drawing on nominations from national academies like the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and panels including scholars affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study and prestigious departments at the University of Oxford and Stanford University.

The Union maintains formal and informal relations with international and national bodies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Council for Science, and the European Mathematical Society; it engages with funding and policy entities like the European Commission, the National Science Foundation, and national academies including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Collaborative efforts have included joint programs with the International Mathematical Olympiad organizers, exchanges with the International Statistical Institute, and partnerships with research hubs like the Perimeter Institute and the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. Through these relationships the Union advances initiatives similar to multinational scientific cooperation exemplified by the Human Frontier Science Program and multinational research infrastructures such as the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

Category:Mathematical societies Category:International scientific organizations