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The World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions has created two international awards for mathematicians who have contributed to mathematics enrichment in their own countries or internationally.
They are named after two mathematicians who have been among the most prominent in providing mathematical challenge in the twentieth century.
Note: Since 1996 the Hilbert Award has not been awarded. It is the policy of WFNMC that the two awards have been merged with the same status and with the Erdös name surviving. A quota of three such Erdös Awards in each two-year period was also introduced from 1996.
The David Hilbert Award was established to recognise contributions of mathematicians which have played a significant role in the development of mathematical challenges at the international level and which have been a stimulus for the enrichment of mathematics learning.
Each recipient of the award is selected by the Executive and Advisory Committee of the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions on the recommendation of the WFNMC Awards Subcommittee.
At the International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris in 1900 he presented the now famous and inspirational 23 problems which he challenged twentieth century mathematicians to solve.
"A mathematical problem should be difficult in order to entice us, yet not completely inaccessible, lest it mock our efforts. It should be to us a guidepost on the tortuous paths to hidden truths, ultimately rewarding us by the pleasure in the successful solution." - David Hilbert.
The Paul Erdös Award is established to recognise contributions of mathematicians which have played a significant role in the development of mathematical challenges at the national or international level and which have been a stimulus for the enrichment of mathematics learning.
Each recipient of the award is selected by the Executive and Advisory Committee of the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions on the recommendation of the WFNMC Awards Subcommittee.
Paul Erdös, born in 1913 in Hungary, was an indefatigable traveller, disseminating mathematics challenges to researchers in many countries of the world.
He authored or co-authored 1500 articles and books and collaborated with more mathematicians than anyone in history.
He died on Friday 20 September 1996 in Warsaw after suffering a heart attack.
The following documents and additional information must be writtten in English:
The Federation encourages the submission of such nominations from Directors or Presidents of Institutes and Organisations, from Chancellors or Presidents of Colleges and Universities, and others.
It should be noted that 1991 Awards under the name of David Hilbert were presented on the basis of quite different criteria, that of having written the most interesting articles written in the previous years' volumes of the WFNMC Journal "Mathematics Competitions".