The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, commonly known simply as the Fields Institute, is an international centre for

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

mathematical science The mathematical sciences are a group of areas of study that includes, in addition to mathematics, those academic disciplines that are primarily mathematical in nature but may not be universally considered subfields of mathematics proper. Statisti ...

s. It is an independent non-profit with strong ties to 20 Ontario universities, including the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, where it occupies a purpose-built building on the St. George campus. Fields was established in 1992, and was briefly based at the

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality ...

before relocating to Toronto in 1995. The institute is named after Canadian mathematician

John Charles Fields John Charles Fields, FRS, FRSC (May 14, 1863 – August 9, 1932) was a Canadian mathematician and the founder of the Fields Medal for outstanding achievement in mathematics. Career Born in Hamilton, Ontario, to a leather shop owner, Fields ...

, after whom the

Fields Medal The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place every four years. The name of the award ho ...

is also named. Fields' name was given to the institute in recognition of his contributions to

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and his work on behalf of high level mathematical scholarship in Canada. As a centre for mathematical activity, the institute brings together mathematicians from Canada and abroad. It also supports the collaboration between professional mathematicians and researchers in other domains, such as statistics, computer science, engineering, physical and biological sciences, medicine, economics and finance, telecommunications and information systems. It also holds monthly meetings on mathematics education, attended by participants from secondary school boards, university mathematics departments and the private sector.

Building

The institute occupies a building at the university that was specially conceived and constructed for its activities, designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects. The building accommodates up to 66 visitors and their support staff, providing office spaces and full access to the mathematics collection of the

University of Toronto Libraries The University of Toronto Libraries system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked third among peer institutions in North America, behind only Harvard and Yale. The system consists of 39 libraries located on University of Toronto' ...

Publications

The ''Fields Institute Monographs'' (FIM), jointly published with the

American Mathematical Society The American Mathematical Society (AMS) is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, and serves the national and international community through its publications, meetings, ...

, features the research work of the institute.

Fellows

In 2002, the Fields Institute initiated the Fields Institute Fellows program to recognize outstanding contributions to activities at the Fields Institute and within the Canadian mathematical community. The fellowship is a lifetime appointment. Winners of the

CRM-Fields-PIMS prize The CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize is the premier Canadian research prize in the mathematical sciences. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional research achievement in the mathematical sciences and is given annually by three Canadian mathematics institu ...

are automatically recommended for fellowship.

References

External links

Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences
{{Mathematics in Canada University of Toronto Mathematical institutes Research institutes in Canada