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 been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...
in
mathematical sciences. 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 university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
, 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 university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...
before relocating to Toronto in 1995.
The institute is named after Canadian mathematician
John Charles 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 Mathematicians, International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place e ...
is also named. Fields' name was given to the institute in recognition of his contributions to
mathematics
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
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 40 libraries located on University of Toronto's ...
.
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 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