The 2020 Fields Medal Symposium will honour Alessio Figalli (ETH Zürich) who was awarded a Fields Medal in 2018 for "contributions to the theory of optimal transport and its applications in partial differential equations, metric geometry and probability". Hosted by the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, the Fields Medal Symposium is held each year to celebrate a recent medallist.
The Public Opening Event aims to provide an opportunity for the general public to enjoy, learn from, interact with, and be inspired by the “rock stars” of mathematics. The 2020 Fields Medal Symposium Public Opening will be held online and includes:
- An introduction to Figalli's work by his colleague Francesco Maggi (University of Texas at Austin)
- An interview with Alessio Figalli, hosted by Hannah Fry (University College London)
- A panel discussion, moderated by Hannah Fry, with Maria Colombo (EPFL Lausanne), Ingrid Daubechies (Duke University), Alessio Figalli, Robert McCann (University of Toronto), and Cédric Villani (Fields Medal 2010, Assemblée Nationale de France)
- Messages from distinguished guests and dignitaries, including Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette (Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada), Alejandro Adem (President, NSERC), Carlos E. Kenig (President, International Mathematical Union), Feridan Hamdullahpur (President, Waterloo University) and Mona Nemer (Chief Science Advisor of Canada)
The Public Opening is free and perfect for anyone with an interest in cutting-edge mathematics.