Report About The Current State Of Preparations For The International Congress Of Mathematicians 1998

Berlin, Germany, August 18-27, 1998

Detailed information about the plans and the state of preparation can be found in the ICM'98 WWW-server (URL: http://elib.zib.de/ICM98) This report provides a short summary only.

The ICM'98 Organizing Committee provides an e-mail service distributing information about ICM'98 and the International Mathematical Union to all persons who have electronically preregistered for the INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MATHEMATICIANS 1998 IN BERLIN. The ICM'98 WWW-server also offers an electronic preregistration form. A person without access to the World Wide Web can subscribe to the ICM98 circular letters, by sending an e-mail to

writing into the SUBJECT line.

1. ICM'98 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE and VICM

The ICM'98 Organizing Committee is growing as the congress approaches. The Board of Directors consists of 

President, M. Groetschel (ZIB and TU Berlin)

Vice President, M. Aigner (FU Berlin)

Honorary President,  F. Hirzebruch (MPI Bonn)

Treasurer,  J. Sprekels (WIAS and HU Berlin)

Secretary General,   J. Winkler (TU Berlin)
The ICM'98-server contains the list of all other colleagues currently involved in the organization.

The International Congress is formally organized by the ``Verein zur Durchfuehrung des International Congress of Mathematicians 1998'' (VICM) that has been legally established and has the right to accept tax deductible donations etc. so that sponsors can take full advantage of their donations to the organization of ICM'98. VICM will make all legal contracts and has alreday done so. The Board of Directors of VICM is the same as that of the Organizing Committee. VICM membership dues will be used to support mathematicians from Eastern Europe and developing countries.

2. PROFESSIONAL CONGRESS ORGANIZATION COMPANY

The ICM'98 Organizing Committee has selected DER Congress as the congress organization company to support the ICM organization. DER Congress will, in particular, handle the registrations, run the accommodation service, and provide touristic advice. A contract has been signed.

3. SPONSORING AND FINANCE

Up to now government agencies, public foundations, and private companies have agreed to support the congress with a total amount well above 1.5 million DM. This amount is sufficient to organize the congress. Further sponsoring is sought (some negotiations look very promising) to offer additional activities, in particular, to involve the general (non-mathematical) public and to provide support for mathematicians from developing countries and the former Eastern Block.

4. LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS

The opening ceremony and the afternoon of the first day will take place in the International Congress Center (ICC), all other parts of the congress (including local registration) will be in the Technische Universitaet. All rooms have been reserved and technical equipment is available. All Congress sites are ready for ICM'98.

Evening activities and events for the general public will also be in the building of the Academy of the Arts and the Urania building, see 8. below.

5. PUBLIC RELATIONS

We are planning a major public relations campaign in Germany not only to publicize the International Congress but also to increase the public knowledge about mathematics and the public awareness of our subject. Several colleagues are participating in this project. Journalists have been approached and are willing to help us in this respect.

For instance, in the months before the congress we will publish a series of ICM-Specials in the Mitteilungen der Deutschen Mathematiker-Vereinigung (comparable to the AMS Notices) concentrating on four themes:

  1. Mathematics and the World
  2. Mathematics and Knowledge
  3. Mathematics viewed from the Outside
  4. The Future of Mathematics.
The issue on The Future of Mathematics will also be part of the official news release at the opening of the congress.

6. SPECIAL CONFERENCES AROUND ICM'98

The list of these "satellite conferences" is growing. We maintain a special homepage in the ICM'98-server, where detailed information can be found.

7. SUPPORT OF MATHEMATICIANS FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

The circular letters ICM-CL6 and ICM-CL8, these can also be found in the ICM'98-server, describe the procedures for application for support. For the young mathematicians selected by the IMU Special Development Fund, sufficient amounts of money for local support is available. To also support some (older) mathematicians from developing countries and a significant number of mathematicians from Eastern Europe further sponsors are actively approached.

8. CULTURAL PROGRAM, EVENTS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC

We plan a number of cultural activities open to the general public during ICM'98.

URANIA
Our major focus for Events for the General Public is the Urania in Berlin. The Urania foundation is a well-established organization, founded by, among others, Werner von Siemens, other industrialists, and famous scientists more than 100 years ago in order to popularize scientific research (in a broad sense). The Urania foundation is a private organization staging several talks on science every day in its own large building, also called Urania, in the center of Berlin, two subway stations away from the TU. The Urania foundation is able to survive without government funding through entrance fees and donations. The Urania foundation has a large number of members and dedicated followers. It is not rare that science talks have several hundred up to 1,000 persons in the audience. The Urania is closed during summer and we have rented the place for the time of the conference. The management of Urania is willing to support us by advertising the events that will take place during the conference through its well-established channels.

TALKS ABOUT MATHEMATICS AND ITS RELATIONS TO OTHER SUBJECTS
Our idea is to have afternoon and evening talks intended on the one hand for participants of the conference, but on the other hand for the interested public (for instance highschool students) too. The talks will be labeled according to the audience that is addressed. We plan to have about one talk every day. A variety of aspects of mathematics and its relations to subjects such as philosophy, music, arts, physics etc. should be touched. We will charge an entrance fee for the general public. There will be talks in English and German.

VIDEOMATH FESTIVAL
The circular letter ICM98-CL10 describes our plans for a VideoMath Festival. Briefly, short high-quality videos on mathematical topics will be combined into a film of about two hours length and shown in the movie theater of the Urania every day during the congress.

EXHIBITION MATHEMATIK ZUM ANFASSEN
There will be an exhibition of mathematical models and related objects in the Urania. It will be called ``Mathematik zum Anfassen''. This exhibition of mathematical models is planned in cooperation with the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

We are planning to attract school classes to the exhibition and to the VideoMath shows; guides will show them around and explain the models and other objects.

Some financial support for these activities has been obtained, a little more would be good to be able to present everything we have in mind.

ART AND MUSIC EVENTS
Two major events concerning "MATHEMATICS AND MUSIC" and "MATHEMATICS IN THE ARTS" are planned in cooperation with the BERLIN ACADEMY OF THE ARTS. The concepts for both events are in the final design stage and should be finished by the end of April 1997. The projects are very costly, but there seem to be hopes on the side of the Academy that money from the Lotto foundation can be obtained. It is impossible to describe the plans here in detail.

There will, for instance, be an art exhibition in the building of the Academy of Arts entitled "Ich zaehle nicht" (I don't count) involving many well-known painters and other artists. Several performances of modern music as well as talks about mathematics and music and the arts will be presented. The events will take place in the Academy building and in the Urania.

In addition to modern music we will also offer something classic. The organizers have negotiated with the Deutsche Oper to stage Mozart's "Die Zauberfloete" (Magic Flute) on Sunday, August 23. We hold all tickets (almost 2000) for this performance. Those not sold by the end of April 1998 will be returned to the opera house for the general public.

9. ICM'98 PROGRAM

One of the most important jobs for ICM98 has been finished. The ICM'98 program committee, appointed by IMU, has met in Berlin from March 7 to 9, 1997 and has selected all invited speakers. The invitations will be mailed out as soon as the Organizing Committee has received the addresses.

10. ANNOUNCEMENTS

A so-called (printed) First Announcement of ICM'98 will be mailed out (by ordinary mail) in September 1997. We try to reach as many mathematicians as possible. Those who have preregistered for ICM'98 will receive the (very detailed) Second Announcemnt in early spring 1998.

11. PROCEEDINGS

The ICM'98 Organizers will publish printed proceedings. Every participant will obtain a copy as part of the congress fee. The proceedings will also be electronically available through the electronic journal of the Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung "Documenta Mathematica".

12. FEES

As things stand, at present, the congress fee will be DM 450.- (about $ 265 at the exchange rate of April 10, 1997).

Berlin, April 10, 1997

Martin Groetschel
President of the
ICM'98 Organizing Committee
Wolfgang Dalitz
Last modified: Thu Jul 24 05:56:22 1997