International Mathematical Union

The International Mathematical Union (IMU) is an international organization that works together to help people around the world share ideas and work on mathematics. It is part of the larger International Science Council (ISC) and helps organize big meetings for mathematicians, such as the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM). The IMU has members from more than 80 countries, each with their own groups that study math.

The IMU has several important goals. It wants to help countries work together in the field of math. It also supports big math meetings and gives special awards to people who have done great work in math. The IMU tries to help all kinds of math activities, whether they are about pure math, using math in real life, or teaching math to students.

History

The International Mathematical Union (IMU) started in 1920. It stopped for a while but began again in 1950 during a meeting in New York. Official rules were set on September 10, 1951, after ten countries joined. Big activities started in March 1952 in Rome, Italy.

In 2010, leaders decided to put the IMU’s main office in Berlin. The office opened on January 1, 2011, and is hosted by a research institute with many scientists working on math problems for businesses and industries. The past president was Carlos Kenig from 2019 to 2022, and the current president is Hiraku Nakajima. The office is in India and works with the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community.

Commissions and committees

The International Mathematical Union (IMU) works closely with mathematics education through its International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI). This commission has its own leadership team and meeting group, just like the IMU.

The IMU focuses on helping developing countries and uses a big part of its money, including gifts from people, math groups, foundations, and funding agencies, for activities in these countries. Since 2011, this work has been managed by the Commission for Developing Countries (CDC).

There is also a group called the Committee for Women in Mathematics (CWM) that looks at issues about women in math all around the world. It organizes a special meeting called the World Meeting for Women in Mathematics as part of a bigger math event.

The IMU also works with another group, the International Commission on the History of Mathematics (ICHM), which is run together with the Division of the History of Science of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS).

There is a Committee on Electronic Information and Communication (CEIC) that gives advice to the IMU about math information, communication, and publishing.

Prizes

The International Mathematical Union gives out important prizes every four years at the International Congress of Mathematicians. These prizes are among the biggest honors in the world of math. Some of these prizes include the Fields Medals, the IMU Abacus Medal, the Carl Friedrich Gauss Prize, the Chern Medal, and the Leelavati Award. Each prize recognizes mathematicians for their amazing work and contributions to the field.

Membership and General Assembly

The International Mathematical Union (IMU) has members from many countries around the world. Each country is represented by a group such as a math society or academy. Countries that are just starting to build their math programs can join as Associate Members. There are also special groups, like math societies from many countries, that can join as Affiliate Members.

Every four years, leaders from all the member groups meet in a General Assembly. Here, they make important decisions, choose leaders for the IMU, and talk about plans for the future.

Members and Associate Members

The IMU has 83 full Member countries and two Associate Members (Bangladesh and Paraguay).

Affiliate members

The IMU has five affiliate members:

• African Mathematical Union (AMU)
• European Mathematical Society (EMS)
• Mathematical Council of the Americas (MCofA)
• Southeast Asian Mathematical Society (SEAMS)
• Unión Matemática de América Latina y el Caribe (UMALCA)

Organization and Executive Committee

The International Mathematical Union is managed by an executive committee. This committee includes a President, two vice-presidents, a Secretary, six Members-at-Large, and the Past President. They are all elected for four-year terms. The committee handles all important decisions and tasks, like selecting members for committees that organize big math events and award prizes.

Publications

The International Mathematical Union publishes an electronic newsletter called IMU-Net every two months. This newsletter shares news about decisions, big events, and other interesting topics in the world of mathematics.

Each year, the IMU also puts out a bulletin to update its members about what the Union is doing. In 2009, they published a document called Best Current Practices for Journals.

IMU’s Involvement in developing countries

The International Mathematical Union (IMU) began helping mathematics in developing countries in the early 1970s. In 2010, it created the Commission for Developing Countries (CDC) to organize all its efforts for supporting math and mathematicians in these areas.

Some of the programs the IMU supports include:

• Grants Program for Mathematicians: This program helps mathematicians from developing countries travel for research and organize math conferences.
• African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI): This network in sub-Saharan Africa organizes events, lectures, and offers scholarships for students studying math.
• Mentoring African Research in Mathematics (MARM): The IMU helped start this program, which connects math experts in the United Kingdom with those in Africa to support teaching and learning.
• Volunteer Lecturer Program (VLP): This program lists volunteers who can teach advanced math courses in universities in developing countries.

The IMU also supports the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction with its programs in Asia and Africa. It has published reports to help improve math education in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. In 2014, it released a report looking at its past, present, and future work in developing countries.

MENAO Symposium at the ICM

In 2014, the International Mathematical Union held a special meeting called "Mathematics in Emerging Nations: Achievements and Opportunities" (MENAO) the day before the International Congress of Mathematicians began. About 260 people from many countries attended, including representatives from embassies, scientific groups, businesses, and foundations. They heard inspiring stories about mathematicians and progress in developing countries.

Presidents

The International Mathematical Union has had many leaders since it began in 1952. Each leader serves for a few years and helps guide the group. Here are some of the leaders from different times and places: