Professor Stormer, one of the five members of The Abel Committee, said the prize, worth nearly US$800,000, will be awarded each June in Oslo, capital of Norway, and he expects the International Mathematical Union to nominate a candidate for the new prize.

The prize, named after the Norwegian mathematics genius N. H. Abel, will be awarded to scientists who have made significant contributions to the mathematical field regardless of their age.

The purpose of the prize is to raise the social position of mathematical research and to stimulate the interest of the talented young mathematicians in this field.

Before the establishment of The Abel Price, The Fields Price, which is worth US$4,000 and awarded every four years, was considered the highest prize in the international mathematical field. Candidates must not be older than 40 and so far 42 mathematicians have received the prize since it was set up in 1936.

Professor Stormer said the nomination process has not been settled but The Abel Committee has the right to nominate the final candidates to the prize committee even though each mathematician is eligible to make recommendations to The Abel Committee.

The five members of The Abel Committee are appointed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (NASL). Two of the members will come from NASL and the other three will come from The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters, The Norwegian Council for Higher Education and Oslo University.

In order to commemorate N. H. Abel, who died of tuberculosis at 27, the Norwegian government early this year set up the Niels Henrik Abel Memorial Fund worth US$22 million. The fund will be used for the prize for the Abel laureate, events in conjunction with the presentation of the prize, and events targeting the mathematical education of children and young people.

(People's Daily August 19, 2002)