Banquet Speech to first Abel Prize Laureate

Mr. Serre,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a pleasure to host this dinner in celebration of the first award of the Abel prize. First of all I would like to congratulate professor Jean-Pierre Serre as the very first Abel laureate. This is indeed an historic occasion - for science in general and for mathematics in particular.

As many of you know, my academic background is within theology. Well did I study science and mathematics in high school, but I must admit that my knowledge of advanced mathematics is rather limited... But when I read the Academy’s statement about the price-winner, I noticed that Mr. Serre has studied in particular the transformation between spheres of higher dimensions. This proves that mathematics can be used to solve almost any problem, even those of a divine nature.

Professor Serre has been awarded the Abel prize for a lifetime of outstanding academic achievements. Throughout half a century he has made significant contributions to the science of mathematics. The Academy has chosen a worthy winner - a winner who has taken the Abel inheritance further.

The proposal to establish a mathematics prize similar to the Nobel prizes has been with us for a hundred years. It was about time - for a number of reasons:

1. First of all, mathematics has a unique position among the sciences. It is often referred to as "the queen of sciences" and is considered to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest intellectual activity. According to St. Augustine, God created the world in six days because six is a perfect number (and not vice versa) - thereby suggesting that the Creation itself relies on basic number theory.
2. But mathematics is not confined to abstract dimensions. It is indeed a topical field. New technologies like ICT, genomics and nanotechnology would have been unthinkable without mathematics. What looks like pure theory at one point in time may later prove to be the key to scientific breakthroughs.
3. In addition, mathematics is probably the most international of all sciences. It is therefore quite a paradox that mathematics has lacked an international prize equal to the Nobel prizes.
4. Finally we hope that the Abel prize will be instrumental in promoting young people's interest in science. Many countries, including our own, experience declining recruitment to science in general and to mathematics in particular. Too many young people close the door to mathematics and thereby to future careers in science.

To turn this negative trend we need to show young students that mathematics is a key subject in a number of areas. But that is not enough.

Many young people seem to view mathematics simply as a tool, and associate it with blood, sweat and tears. But when mathematicians describe their work, it is striking how often they use terms like beauty, harmony and simplicity. To attract more young people to mathematics, we should also call their attention to these aspects.

Creativity is an important part of mathematics. The famous mathematician David Hilbert is said to have advised a student to study poetry - because he did not have the imagination to study mathematics!

I am personally rather optimistic about achieving a stronger recruitment to mathematics. Firstly, because the promotion of science among young people is a key issue in both international and national research strategies. Secondly, because mathematics and science seem to be blessed with many enthusiasts who refuse to accept a negative trend.

In fact the establishment of the Abel prize was promoted by an enthusiastic mathematical community, and supported by a number of individuals, by industry, and the political environment. Few proposals have received a stronger support than the proposal to establish the Abel-prize.

The Abel prize is both a tribute to an eminent scientist and a way of promoting recruitment to the field of mathematics. I believe that both objectives honour the memory of Niels Henrik Abel.

Please, join me in a toast to the Abel Laureate, professor Jean-Pierre Serre, and to mathematics!