The International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) is the biggest congress in mathematics. It is held once in four years under the auspices of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
The 1998 congress was attended by 3,346 participants. The program consisted of 21 one-hour plenary lectures and 169 45-minute invited lectures in specialized sections given by distinguished mathematicians selected by the organizers of the congress. In addition, every participant can present his work in a short 15-minute talk or poster.
During the congress, the main mathematics awards (Fields Medals and the Nevanlinna Prize) are awarded. At 1900 congress, David Hilbert announced his famous list of 23 open problems in mathematics (now called Hilbert's problems).
The first congress was held in Zürich, Switzerland in 1897. The next congress will be held in Madrid, Spain in 2006.
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