Mathematics Without Borders

The twentieth century has been one of great international conflict, but also one of increasing globalization and cooperation among nations. The history of international mathematical cooperation over the last hundred years--from the first international congress in 1897 to plans for the World Mathematical Year 2000--as told by Professor Olli Lehto, is a surprisingly compelling story. For reflected in the history of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) is all the strife among world powers, as well as aspirations for cooperation among nations in an increasingly interdependent world. The IMU, founded in the aftermath of World War I, for fifteen years excluded Germany and the other defeated Central Powers. But in the 1920s the IMU embraced principles of political neutrality, inviting every national mathematical organization to join the IMU, and this principle of nondiscrimination, while sometimes sorely tried, has held the IMU in good stead. Then came the Second World War, and again international cooperation was threatened. After World War II, a number of issues--the Cold War, the conflict between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, a divided Germany, problems in the emerging nations of Africa--at times led to attempts to influence the IMU Executive Committee in its decisions regarding membership, location of international congresses, committee assignments, handling of protests, and awarding the coveted Fields Medals. Throughout the tumultuous past half century the IMU has sponsored International Congresses throughout the world, and Mathematics Without Borders will fill you in on all the mathematical and organizational details. But what keeps you turning pages is the very human story of individuals, among them many of the great mathematicians of our