CEIC presentation of the IMU at CoData 2012
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The International Mathematical Union (IMU) is a non-profit organization founded in 1920, focused on promoting mathematics globally, with 69 member countries. It organizes the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) every four years and awards prestigious prizes such as the Fields Medal and the Nevanlinna Prize. IMU also supports mathematical education, particularly in developing countries, and advocates for open access to mathematical publications and historical literature.
CEIC presentation of the IMU at CoData 2012
- 1. INTERNATIONALMATHEMATICALUNIONIMUThe International Mathematical Union is a non-governmental and non-profit scientific organization devoted to promoting the development of mathematics in all its aspects across the world. IMU is a member of the International Council for Science – ICSU. First founded in 1920, it was reborn after World War II in 1951. Members are countries who are represented in IMU through Adhering Organisations. At present, the IMU includes 69 Members, 8 Associate, and 4 Affiliate Members. IMU’s governing body is the General Assembly made up of delegates, representatives, and of the IMU Executive Committee. The permanent Secretariat, based in Berlin, runs IMU’s day to day business, provides support for many IMU operations, and hosts the IMU archive. The most important activity of the IMU is to support and assist the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) taking place every four years and uniting mathematicians from all branches and from all over the world. The first ICM took place in Zurich in 1897, the last in Hyderabad in 2010, and the next one will be in Seoul in 2014. At the ICM Opening Ceremony the scientific prizes of IMU are awarded: the Fields Medals (two to four medals are given since 1936), the Rolf Nevanlinna Prize (since 1986), the Carl Friedrich Gauss Prize (since 2006), and the Chern Medal Award (awarded for the first time in 2010). The Fields Medal (often referred to as the Nobel Prize of mathematics) recognises outstanding mathematical achievement. The Nevanlinna Prize honours distinguished achievements in mathematical aspects of information science. The Gauss Prize is awarded for outstanding mathematical contributions that have found significant applications outside of mathematics. The Chern Medal honours an individual whose lifelong achievements in the field of mathematics warrant the highest level of recognition. Awardees of the Fields Medals and of the Nevanlinna Prize cannot be older than forty years old. MATHEMATICAL EDUCATION The IMU keeps close contacts to mathematics education through its International Commission on Mathematical Instruction. This commission is organized similarly to IMU with its own Executive Committee and General Assembly. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES The newly created Commission for Developing Countries administers a significant percentage of IMU’s budget, including grants received from individuals, mathematical societies, foundations, and funding agencies, spent on activities for developing countries. HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS The International Commission for the History of Mathematics is operated jointly by the IMU and the Division of the History of Science of the International Union for the History and Philosophy of Science. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION The Committee on Electronic Information and Communication advises on matters concerning mathematical information, communication, and publishing. The IMU favours unrestricted access to metadata and navigation, and ultimately (embargoed) open access. The availability of historical literature in mathematics has been a concern and several projects are providing scans of works that are not born digital. The current vision of a World Digital Library of Mathematics focuses on an implementation that benefits the developing world as well as countries with an established scientific, mathematical and computing infrastructure. Since its Call to All Mathematicians to Make Publications Electronically Available in 2001, the IMU has explicitly recognised that open access to mathematical literature would be of great importance to research and a key to sustainability. www.mathunion.org IMU poster for the WDS Members' Forum, at the CODATA 2012 Conference, Taipei. Taiwan 2012. © Copyright 2012, CEIC. All Rights Reserved. International Mathematical Union Secretariat Markgrafenstr. 32 D-10117 Berlin. IMU EC 2011-2014 President: I. Daubechies (US), Secretary: M. Grötschel (DE), Vice- Presidents: C. Rousseau (CA), M. Viana (BR), Members at large: M. de León (ES), Y. Long (CN), C. Praeger (AU), V. Srinivas (IN), J. Toland (UK), W. Werner (FR) , Ex-officio: L. Lovász (HU).