65 interesting facts from IMPA's 65-year history
IMPA turns 65 this Sunday (15) and reviews part of its history with a list of 65 curiosities about some of the most significant events of this period. At the head of the Mathematics Biennium, IMPA is preparing to hold the main event of the mathematics community – ICM 2018 –, without losing focus on its mission to improve the teaching of the subject in the country.
Here are 65 interesting facts about the institute, in bullet points.
1. Foundation
It happened in 1952. IMPA was the first scientific unit created by the National Research Council (CNPq) of the federal government. Its main objective was to stimulate scientific research in Mathematics, train researchers, and disseminate and improve mathematical culture in Brazil. The founders were Lélio Gama (director), Leopoldo Nachbin, and Maurício Matos Peixoto.
2. Directors
Lélio Gama (1952-65), Lindolpho de Carvalho Dias (1965-69, 1971-79, 1980-89), Elon Lages Lima (1969-71, 1979-80, 1989-93), Jacob Palis (1993-2003), César Camacho (2003-2015) and Marcelo Viana (from 2015 onwards)
3. Researchers
Among permanent, extraordinary, and emeritus members, there are 47.
4. Youngest Doctor
Carlos Matheus Silva Santos completed his doctorate in 2004, at the age of 19, becoming the youngest PhD graduate from IMPA.
5. Father and son
The founder Leopoldo Nachbin (1922-1993) has his footsteps at IMPA followed by his son, the researcher and mathematician André Nachbin.
6. Research Areas
Algebra, Analysis and Partial Differential Equations, Computer Graphics, Fluid Dynamics, Mathematical Economics, Complex Geometry and Holomorphic Foliations, Differential Geometry, Symplectic Geometry, Optimization, Probability and Dynamical Systems, and Ergodic Theory
7. Master's and doctoral degrees
The creation of regular master's and doctoral programs dates back to 1970. IMPA is the first Brazilian institution to award master's and doctoral degrees in Mathematics. Today it is the most important Latin American center for postgraduate education in Mathematics.
8. Masters and PhDs
Throughout its 65-year history, hundreds of mathematicians have passed through IMPA's classrooms, enhancing their knowledge and producing cutting-edge and relevant research. The institute has already graduated 472 PhDs and 803 Masters students.
9. Library
The IMPA (Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics) houses a collection of 120,343 items: 36,666 books and 83,677 periodicals. It is one of the most complete libraries in the world dedicated to Pure and Applied Mathematics.
10. Published books
Approximately 130, from the collections Mathematical Publications, Euclid Project and University Mathematics, among others.
11.Headquarters
Inaugurated in 1981, the current headquarters are located in Horto Florestal (southern Rio de Janeiro), very close to one of the entrances to Tijuca National Park and the touristy Vista Chinesa viewpoint. The first address was a room in the Brazilian Center for Physical Research (IMPA), in Praia Vermelha. IMPA also operated in buildings in Botafogo and downtown Rio.
12. New building project
In 2014, a 250,000 square meter plot of land adjacent to the one currently occupied by IMPA was donated for the expansion of its physical facilities. The design for the new building is already complete. It will house residences for students and visitors, as well as academic spaces.
13. Laboratories
Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (FLUID), Visual Computing and Interactive Media Laboratory (VISGRAF), and Laboratory for Mathematical Analysis and Modeling in Applied Sciences (LAMCA)
14. Class hours per year
The average is 3,600 hours of classes per year in master's and doctoral programs and summer courses. Seminars are not included.
15. Number of employees
Approximately 170, including teachers and administrative staff, as well as outsourced personnel.
16. Longest-serving employee
The longest-serving employee is José Paulo Fahl Santos, 62 years old, who joined IMPA in 1971. He works in the Human Resources department.
17th Mathematics Biennium 2017-18
Created to leverage the opportunity to host the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2017) and the International Congress of Mathematicians (2018), the two-year period aims to promote education and expand mathematics in the country.
18. Summer Program
IMPA has been offering free activities for researchers and students from other institutions in January and February for over 50 years.
19th Brazilian Colloquium on Mathematics
The most important event on the national mathematics calendar, it has been held every two years since 1957. Organizing the Colloquium is a priority activity for IMPA.
20th Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools (OBMEP)
This year's edition brought together 18.2 million students from 99.6% of Brazilian municipalities. It is an IMPA activity aimed at secondary and primary education students.
21st Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad (OBM)
Its aim is to stimulate the study of mathematics, contribute to the improvement of teaching, identify and support talented students, and prepare teams to compete in mathematical competitions around the world. It is organized by IMPA and the Brazilian Mathematical Society (SBM).
22. Brazilian Mathematical Society
Created in 1969, during the Brazilian Mathematics Colloquium held in Poços de Caldas (MG), the SBM's main task is to be the coordinating entity for mathematical research in Brazil.
23. Olympic training
IMPA selects and trains the members of the teams that represent Brazil in international mathematics competitions. The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the main one.
24.Aramat
The Spix's macaw is the mascot of the 2017-2018 Mathematics Biennium. Its purpose is to encourage everyone to engage with mathematics in a fun and playful way.
25.IMO 2017
The 58th International Mathematical Olympiad was held in July in Rio de Janeiro, coordinated by IMPA. The most traditional international mathematics competition took place in Brazil for the first time, bringing together 623 students from 111 countries.
26th Mathematics Festival
Held in Rio de Janeiro in April of this year, the event marked the beginning of the Mathematics Biennium. The festival offered approximately 40 free workshops on topics related to the discipline.
27.ICM 2018
From August 1st to 9th, 2018, Rio de Janeiro will host the International Congress of Mathematicians. The first edition of this traditional gathering of mathematicians from around the world took place in 1897. Since then, the congresses have helped shape the history of mathematics and announce the winners of the Fields Medal. The ICM will be held in South America for the first time.
28. Symbol
Considered the most famous ring in the world, the Möbius strip is the symbol of IMPA. A reproduction of it is on the facade of the headquarters building. There is also a bronze model in the atrium on the second floor. The Möbius strip is a special type of surface, without an inside or outside.
29. Fields Medal for Artur Avila
The renowned mathematician was the first Brazilian, Latin American, and Portuguese-speaking person to win the most prestigious honor in the mathematical community, the Fields Medal. The achievement by the Rio de Janeiro native occurred in 2014. He is 38 years old and an extraordinary researcher at IMPA (Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics).
30. Fields Medal Visits
The importance of IMPA on the world stage means that its doors are always open to leading figures in mathematics, fostering visits that provide an important exchange of knowledge. Many Fields Medalists have been here: Michael Atiyah, Vaugh-Jones, Pierre-Louis Lions, Wendelin Werner, Elon Lindenstrauss, David Mumford, Steve Smale, Jean-Christophe Yoccoz, Cédric Villani, Laurent Schwartz, John Milnor, Alexander Grothendieck, Stanislav Smirnov, and others.
31.Jean Christophe Yoccoz (1957-2016)
French mathematician, he was an honorary researcher at IMPA and an honorary associate of SBM. He received the Fields Medal in 1994. The partnership between IMPA and CNRS – the French institution for mathematics – is named after Yoccoz.
32. Visits from the Abel Prize
IMPA has also received visits from winners of the prestigious award, created in 2003 by the King of Norway. Past laureates include Jean-Pierre Serre, Michael Atiyah, Lennart Carleson, Sr. Srinivasa Varadhan, John Milnor, Yakov Sinai, and John Nash.
33. Louis D. Scientific Grand Prize
The director-general of IMPA, Marcelo Viana, was the first Brazilian and the first mathematician in the world to receive France's main scientific award, in 2016.
34. Jacob Palis, Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor
For his valuable academic contribution, the emeritus researcher at IMPA was awarded this year with the honor, granted by the French government. The medal was presented to him by the government of French President Emmanuel Macron. A former director-general, he is the IMPA researcher with the most awards and distinctions: 59 in total, granted by institutions worldwide.
35. ICM Plenary Speakers
It's for a select few. Standing out in the mathematical community is essential to participating in the most important event in the field. Three IMPA researchers have had this opportunity: Marcelo Viana (1998), Artur Avila (2010), and Fernando Codá (2014). Carlos Gustavo Tamm de Araújo Moreira will be the fourth, at ICM 2018 (Rio).
36. Legacy of Elon Lages Lima (1929-2017)
Specializing in Topology, emeritus researcher at IMPA, PhD from the University of Chicago, he directed IMPA for three terms.
37. Animals
The proximity to the Tijuca Forest brings animals typical of the forest to the IMPA grounds, such as monkeys, birds, snakes, insects, and lizards. There was even a fight between an anteater and a monkey. The anteater got the worst of it. It died before veterinary help arrived.
38. Plants
It seems incredible, but the forest surrounding IMPA is not original. Part of the Tijuca National Park, the forest was cleared during the 18th and 19th centuries for coffee plantations and timber extraction. The entire forest was replanted starting in 1860, by order of Emperor Pedro II. From the original forest, notable specimens of ipê, jequitibá, and cedar trees stand out, among other plant species.
39. The birds and Professor Luís Florit
A researcher at IMPA, the Argentinian mathematician also dedicates himself to birds. His photos of Brazilian birds are an international reference and can be seen on the institute's website.
40. IMPA in the press
The institution's outstanding work has received significant media recognition. Researchers and directors are frequently requested for interviews by major newspapers and television networks. Piauí Magazine dedicated a special issue to the achievement of the Fields Medal by Brazilian Artur Avila.
41. Legacy of Welington de Melo (1946-2016)
A researcher at IMPA, the mathematician specialized in Dynamical Systems. He was the advisor of Artur Avila, the only Brazilian Fields Medalist.
42. IMPA on the internet
In addition to its own website, IMPA is present on social media, with daily posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
43. Social media highlight
With 26,000 followers on Facebook, the IMPA website has already surpassed the 1 million views mark.
44. Erasing the blackboard is prohibited.
Once, a cleaning lady erased the notes written on the blackboard in the living room. a professor, which represented the loss of important research material. Since then, signs have been placed warning of the need to preserve what is written on the blackboards.
45. Blackboard and chalk
Mathematics researchers value the quality of the whiteboard and chalk used in class. It's common for them to bring portable whiteboards of the same quality to events outside the institution.
46. Coffee
The cafeteria uses 5 kg of coffee powder per day, which produces 48 liters of coffee. They also consume 5 liters of tea and 5 liters of iced mate daily. At the Mathematics Colloquium last August, 1,530 liters of coffee (170 kg of powder) were consumed.
47.PAPMEM
The Professional Development Program for High School Mathematics Teachers consists of short, intensive courses held in January and June, aimed at mathematics teachers from all Brazilian states.
48th National Symposium on Mathematics Teacher Training
Promoted by the Brazilian Mathematical Society (SBM) in partnership with the National Association of Mathematics Teachers of Basic Education, it has the support of IMPA.
49. International Cooperation
IMPA encourages the mobility of its researchers and maintains a visitor program open to Brazilian and international institutions. Open and borderless scientific collaboration is an essential ingredient of research activity.
50.IMU
From 1991 to 1998, IMPA hosted the International Mathematical Union (IMU). This marked the first time the headquarters of this prestigious organization was located outside of Europe and North America. The renowned Brazilian mathematician Jacob Palis presided over the IMU from 1999 to 2002.
51. Nobel and Oscar
In 2014, IMPA received the distinguished visit of mathematician John Nash, Nobel Prize winner in Economics ten years earlier. Nash's life inspired the 2002 Oscar-winning film, "A Beautiful Mind," by filmmaker Ron Howard. Actor Russell Crowe portrayed the scientist, who died at age 86, a year after visiting IMPA.
52. Auditoriums
IMPA has three. The main one is named after Ricardo Mañé, in homage to the Uruguayan mathematician, student and prominent researcher at IMPA, who died in 1995 at the age of 47.
53. IMPA researchers win gold at the IMO.
Two of the recipients of gold medals at the IMO have become researchers at IMPA. They are mathematicians Artur Avila and Carlos Gustavo Tamm Araújo Moreira (photo).
54. Nobel's stopping point
Visits from Nobel laureates are frequent at IMPA. John Nash, Roger Myerson, Eric Maskin, Michael Spence, Daniel McFadden, and others have already been here.
55. Varied nationality
The scientific body of IMPA brings together researchers of different nationalities. In addition to Brazilians, there are representatives from Argentina, Germany, Chile, Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Spain, France, Russia, the United States, Lithuania, Romania, and the United Kingdom.
56. Children and grandchildren who are mathematicians
Emeritus researcher Jacob Palis is the mathematician at IMPA with the largest mathematical genealogy , with 42 "children" (advisees) and 253 "grandchildren" (descendants).
57. Latinity
In 2000, IMPA hosted the 1st Latin American Congress of Mathematicians (CLAM), which was attended by more than 500 researchers from various countries.
58. Presidential Visit
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was the first and only president of Brazil to visit IMPA. The visit took place on April 15, 2009.
59.ELAM
IMPA received the The 1st Latin American School of Mathematics (ELAM), in 1968. Coordinated by its founder Leopoldo Nachbin, it was attended by Fields Medalist Laurent Schwatz and his disciple François Trèves.
60. Root of UMALCA
The meeting that gave rise to the Unión Matemática de América Latina y el Caribe (UMALCA), an entity that brings together the various mathematical societies of the region, took place at the IMPA headquarters in July 1995.
61. Voices in the ICM
The importance of IMPA on the international stage can be seen in the number of researchers invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians. From 1962 to 2014, 14 researchers participated in the event. In 2018, in addition to plenary speaker Carlos Gustavo Moreira, IMPA will have two more speakers, Carolina Araujo (pictured) and Claudio Landim.
62. I'm going by bicycle.
A mathematician's life isn't just about being cooped up in an office doing research. Some IMPA members opt for a healthy routine and commute to the institute by bicycle, like the deputy director Claudio Landim and the researchers. Alexei Mailybaev and José Espinar, for example.
63. Masters of Topology
The S. Chern and J. Simons Chair honors the mathematicians who contributed to the development of string theory with the famous Chern-Simons theory. The Chinese mathematician Shiing-Shen Chern was also an honorary researcher at IMPA.
64. Strange visitors
IMPA's proximity to the flora and fauna of the Tijuca Forest means that, from time to time, the rooms are "invaded" by strange visitors, such as snakes and tarantulas, which are always returned to the vegetation.
65. For all
In 2017, IMPA began supporting the first Brazilian women's team to compete in an international mathematics olympiad, the European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad, seeking to increase female participation in tournaments abroad.
