Nevanlinna Prize

The Nevanlinna Prize is awarded by the International Mathematical Union to outstanding contributors to the mathematical aspects of information science. The International Mathematical Union is the organization that awards the prestigious Fields medal, and both awards are presented at the International Congress of Mathematics. Winners receive a gold medal and cash prize similar to the prizes received by Fields Medal winners. The Nevanlinna prize was first presented in 1983 at the Warsaw congress.

The International Mathematical Union has clarified the intent of the prize to be related to the mathematical aspects of information science, including the following.

1. All mathematical aspects of computer science (e.g., complexity theory, logic of programming languages, machine models, cryptography).

2. Scientific computing, numerical analysis and optimization.

3. Information theory, signal processing, control theory, and the modeling of intelligence.

The award is named for Rolf Nevanlinna, a Finnish mathematician who was the president of the International Mathematical Union from 1959 to 1962 and the organizer of the International Congress of Mathematics held in Stockholm in 1962. The prize is financed by the University of Helsinki where Nevanlinna had been the rector.

The front of the medal bears a figure of Nevanlinna and is inscribed with the words "Rolf Nevanlinna Prize." In very small letters it also has the inscription "RH 83" in tribute to the designer, Finnish sculptor Raimo Heino, and the year 1983 when the medal was minted. The reverse side has the insignia of the University of Helsinki and in the upper left part is the word "Helsinki" encoded in zeros and ones.

Winners of the Nevanlinna Prize are summarized in the following table.