An institute integrated into global research
International exchanges are essential to the development of mathematics and bear witness to the excellence of French research teams, which are part of a highly structured international landscape in which CNRS Mathématiques plays an important role.
Every year, the French mathematical school is delighted to see its members honoured with prestigious international awards in all areas of mathematics. These include the Fields Medals (where France has the highest number of winners, on a par with the United States) and the Abel Prize, with 14 and 5 winners respectively.
Discover the Fields medallists from 1950 to 1998
Discover the Fields medallists from 2002 to 2022
Discover the winners of the Abel Prize
Promoting mathematics and research to as many people as possible
Numerous learned societies represent mathematics at international level. These include the International Mathematical Union (IMU), which organises the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), the world's largest mathematical gathering, during which the prestigious Fields Medals are awarded, among other prizes. The European Mathematical Society (EMS) promotes the development of mathematics and its applications throughout Europe, and organises the European Congress of Mathematics (ECM) to discuss a wide range of general mathematical topics, with a strong emphasis on scientific presentations and the presentation of a number of prizes. The International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM) promotes and coordinates applied and industrial mathematics, and is also a major prize-winner. Each country also has its own learned societies, including the Société française de statistiques (SFdS), the Société de Mathématiques Appliquées et Industrielles (SMAI) and the Société Mathématique de France (SMF).
World-renowned meeting facilities
France's internationally recognised excellence means that mathematicians from all over the world come to France every year, contributing to the development and dissemination of knowledge. This may involve individual projects in response to the annual invitation programme launched by the institute (three-month stays in French laboratories), or stays linked to various chair, doctorate or post-doctorate programmes run by different organisations or universities. Very often, this incoming mobility is also linked to events such as conferences, research schools or thematic semesters, which are organised in several national infrastructures serving the entire mathematical community: the Centre international de rencontres mathématiques (Cirm), the Institut Henri Poincaré (IHP) and the Institut des hautes études scientifiques (IHES) are conference centres located in France and recognised as key locations for international collaboration. Not forgetting the International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics (Cimpa), a UNESCO category 2 centre, which promotes research in mathematics directly in developing countries, through research-level schools or courses, and by encouraging the creation of networks of scientists through funding for short international thematic programmes initiated by partners.