Chapter 1
The ultimate prize with a ticking clock
Chapter 2
Secrets carved in gold
Chapter 3
Breaking barriers and global firsts
Chapter 4
Mind-bending math made simple
Chapter 5
The future of human genius
YOUR GOAL
Master of The secret world of the Fields medal
Ch 1 · The ultimate prize with a ticking clock
diego To win a Fields Medal, a mathematician must be under the age of 40 on January 1st of the award year.
diego The Nobel Prizes completely exclude mathematics due to Alfred Nobel's personal focus on practical sciences rather than abstract theory.
Fun Fact
Soap bubble shapes: Jesse Douglas won the first medal in 1936 by mathematically proving the perfect shapes that soap films take on wire frames.
Glossary
age limit (noun)
The maximum or minimum age at which a person is legally or officially permitted to do something. The International Mathematical Union officially established this age limit of forty for the award in 1966.
The maximum or minimum age at which a person is legally or officially permitted to do something. The International Mathematical Union officially established this age limit of forty for the award in 1966.
Quiz
In which city was the 1924 International Congress of Mathematicians held where the medal was first proposed?
Quiz
What is the maximum age a mathematician can be on January 1st of the award year to win?
Quiz
Which country hosted the 1936 International Congress where the first medals were awarded?