Approximately 2,500 researchers are currently in Brazil to participate in the 2018 International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) in Rio de Janeiro, which runs from Wednesday (August 1) until the 9th. The event, held at the Riocentro Convention Center, features 1,200 lectures, panel discussions, and 40 parallel scientific meetings in Brazil.
Among the topics discussed in the round tables are gender distribution, the history of mathematics, and the impact that technology has had on the discipline. The event will also host the award ceremony for the most prestigious recognition in mathematics, the Fields Medal, informally referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Mathematics,” awarded to outstanding mathematicians under the age of 40 and
History
The ICM began in Switzerland in 1897 and is organized every four years, always in partnership with the host country and the International Mathematical Union (IMU). This is the first time the Congress is taking place in a country in the southern hemisphere. Nationally, the event is integrated into the Brazilian Mathematics Biennial 2017-2018, part of a set of actions aimed at bringing the discipline closer to the public.
Incentive
Part of the goals of ICM 2018 is to support the participation of mathematicians from poor countries. The Open Arms program, a tradition of the event and a responsibility of the host country, offered 630 scholarships this year for participation in the event to mathematicians from Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to 250 for Brazilians.
Source: www.brazilgovnews.gov.br/