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Your Majesties

On behalf of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the presentation of the Abel Prize for 2004.

In 1898 the Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie argued for the creation of an international mathematics prize in Niels Henrik Abel's name. Some years before that, Lie, along with Ludvig Sylow, was responsible for publishing Niels Henrik Abel's collected mathematical works. Both men were internationally known mathematicians in their day, with Sophus Lie number two in fame and influence after Niels Henrik Abel. The initiative in connection with the centenary of Niels Henrik Abel's birth went nowhere, perhaps because Sophus Lie died already in 1899. One hundred years after 1902 the opportunity presented itself again, and the Abel Prize was established. Today it will be presented for the second time to two outstanding mathematicians. It is a great pleasure to welcome Sir Michael Atiyah and Isadore Singer to Oslo.

The Abel Prize was created by the Storting, Norway's parliament, for the purpose of rewarding outstanding research in mathematics. It was also created with the expectation that such a prize, with the interest and attention it would hopefully attract, would encourage individual researchers and research communities worldwide.

Sophus Lie is best known for his theory of transformation groups. After Lie had published his first volume on these mathematical objects, the book was reviewed by an American mathematics journal. The reviewer wrote: "There is probably no other science which presents such different appearances to one who cultivates it and one who does not, as mathematics. To the noncultivator it is ancient, venerable, and complete; a body of dry, irrefutable, unambiguous reasoning. To the mathematician, on the other hand, his science is yet in the purple bloom of vigorous youth, everywhere stretching out after the 'attainable but unattained', and full of excitement of nascent thoughts." I know from my own experience that a good mathematics teacher in school and at university is able to communicate some of the excitement that the reviewer writes about, also to those of his or her pupils and students who will not become research mathematicians.

Thus, the Abel Prize has a purpose besides encouraging and rewarding outstanding research in mathematics. It is intended to arouse the interest of the young in mathematics and related scientific subjects. Mathematics is a key to understanding as well as being able to contribute to a vast array of professions in a modern technological society. It is therefore crucial for young people to want to learn the subject. For this reason, it is a pleasure to have with us the winners of this year's Abel and KappAbel contests at this ceremony.

Like most of the other sciences, mathematics is an international activity. Therefore it is also a pleasure for us to have the winners of a major maths contest for young people in Berlin and a related contest in France here with us as our guests.

Once again, honoured guests, I welcome you to this ceremony and to the other events held in conjunction with the awarding of the prize.

HomeNews ArchiveCalendar      Editor: Anne Marie Astad  The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters  E-mail: dnva@online.no