Artur Ávila's Fields Medal and the Brazilian School of Mathematics

Mathematician Artur Ávila being awarded by South Korea's President, Park Geun-hye

Mathematician Artur Ávila, 35, a researcher at the National Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) and Director of Research at the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) of France, was one of the four winners of the Fields Medal in 2014, being the first Latin American to receive the award, which is considered the Nobel Prize of mathematics. Thus, Ávila became the holder of the most important international scientific honor in any area ever granted to a Brazilian researcher.

In order to historically contextualize the achievement of Ávila and the Brazilian mathematics field, the IEA-USP and USP's Institute of Mathematics and Statistics (IME), with support from the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Sciences (ICMC) of USP's campus in São Carlos, will hold the seminar Artur Ávila, the Fields Medal and the Brazilian School of Mathematics on October 15, at 2 pm, in IEA-USP's Event Room.

The exhibitors will be three researchers from the IMPA: Marcelo Viana, Maurício Peixoto and Welington de Melo. Moderation will be in charge of Edson de Faria (IME). Moderation will be in charge of Edson de Faria (IME). Before the seminar, from 11 am to 12 pm, at the IME, Welington de Melo, who has been the doctoral supervisor to Ávila, will give a lecture on the work of the medalist for undergraduates in mathematics.

Founded in 1936 and granted only to mathematicians under 40 years, the Fields Medal was handed to the winners of this year on August 13, during the International Congress of Mathematicians, held in Seoul. The medal is only awarded every four years during the meetings of the International Mathematical Union. Rio de Janeiro will host the next congress in 2018. It will be the first time a country of the Southern Hemisphere becomes the host .

Ávila’s award is the crowning of a long path of struggle by Brazilian mathematics. Although the achievement is due to the merits and individual brilliance of the young mathematician, it should also be credited for his participating in a scientific context that can be defined as a Brazilian school of studies on dynamical systems, primarily established by IMPA, an institution that has played an important role in the world for several years and from which Ávila has graduated.

The event will be broadcast live on the web.

Photo: International Congress of Mathematicians