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Royal Abel celebration in Oslo
John Torrence Tate received the Abel Prize from HM King Harald at an award ceremony in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday 25 May. The Abel Laureate was received in audience at the Royal Palace earlier the same day. His Majesty King Harald was also present at the banquet at Akershus Castle in honour of this year's Abel Laureate. Tora Aasland, the Minister of Higher Education and Research, was the host for the banquet. Sir Michael Atiyah, the 2004 Abel Laureate, was the main speaker of the evening.
An extensive program was set up for the Abel Laureate with the award ceremony as the main event. John Tate recieves the 2010 Abel Prize for his «for his vast and lasting impact on the theory of numbers.»
The chairman of the Abel Committee Kristian Seip said in his speech that the theory of numbers through the last century has developed into one of the most elaborate and sophisticated branches of mathematics, interacting profoundly with other areas. John Tate has been one of the prime architects of this development.
- Many of the major lines of research in algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry are only possible because of the incisive contribution and illuminating insight of John Tate. He has truly left a conspicuous imprint on modern mathematics, Kristian Seip concluded.
The president of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Nils Chr. Stenseth emphasized in his speech that the Abel Prize and similar prestigious prizes help strengthen the position of and regard for science and basic research in the society.
- Basic research work is a long-term endeavor. Thus, it is important to have institutions that maintain and defend such endeavors and to convey the joy and importance of this work to new generations of researchers. Our universities are such institutions, as is the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The Abel Prize helps to call attention to these institutions as bearers of the long-term perspective of basic research, said Nils Chr. Stenseth.
Stenseth was also eager to highlight the fact that one of the goals of the Abel Prize is to strengthen the interest in mathematics among children and young people. To support the Holmboe Prize, which is a prize for math teachers, and also the two school competitions - KappAbel and the Abel Competition - are important means to achieve this aim.
Abel's children
As part of the annual Abel celebrations the Abel Laureate visits one Norwegian university in addition to Oslo University where the Abel Lectures are presented. This time Agder University, the youngest university in Norway, could welcome Abel Laureate John Tate. He gave a public lecture and met some of the 1200 schoolchildren who had come to the universty campus to learn about mathematics in a playful way.
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