Pure Mathematics in Norway

In the fall of 2018, a unique project for mathematical research in Norway began, funded by the Trond Mohn Research Foundation (TMF) and the Tromsø Research Foundation (TFS), and the four universities in Norway: the University of Bergen (UiB), the University of Oslo (UiO), the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim(NTNU), and the University of Tromsø (UiT). TMF/TFS has anually granted the project four million kroner.

Basic research in mathematics in Norway

Generous support from Trond Mohn's research foundations has provided an important boost through a national project with two main tracks: strengthening the mathematical communities and recruiting young talents. One part has been about building strong mathematical groups and linking the research activities in mathematics at the four universities. The other has been aimed at new recruitment. Each of the four universities has appointed an outstanding young researcher in mathematics. The project period has been 4 + 2 years, but was extended by a year due to the pandemic. The project formally ended on April 30 this year, and the last activities will be organized in June.

The Pure Mathematics in Norway (RMN) project has focused on supporting pure mathematics. This is fundamental research in mathematics. Norway has strong traditions in this field, with world-renowned names such as Niels Henrik Abel and Sophus Lie. Nowadays, every year in May, King Harald awards the international Abel Prize (which can be compared to the Nobel Prizes) for outstanding research in mathematics at a festive ceremony in Oslo.

Research in pure mathematics requires little expensive equipment, data collection, experiments or expeditions. The field often falls outside the categories that are most supported by external funding and research councils. But there is enormous international activity in pure mathematics. And the field is like running: The prerequisites for doing it are basically the same everywhere. Norway has no special advantages, like we have in polar research, marine research, or medical research (with good national registers). But mathematics is basic and it is universal. It is used by every other discipline to a greater or lesser extent to model and understand the part of the world they study. Outstanding mathematical research occurs in strong academic environments with close international cooperation and regular academic exchange. If Norway is to assert itself, investments in national and international cooperation, academic meeting places and mobility are needed. Support for young talents is equally important. A strong mathematics environment also has strong repercussions by supplying applied areas with highly qualified professionals with solid expertise and advanced tools for modeling and analysis. The TMF/TFS-funded project Pure Mathematics in Norway has been tailored to support basic mathematics research.

What the project has delivered

We have had seven very fruitful and active years through this project. The activities are documented on the project website www.puremath.no.

National and international meetings. Through meetings, workshops and conferences, we have been able to take the lead and provide service to the international mathematics community. After the pandemic, an average of 18 such meetings have been organized each year in a wide range of mathematical disciplines. They have mainly been international meetings. Scientific impulses and ideas have abounded and contacts have been made. It has been a great inspiration for our master and Ph.D. students. An initiative initiated in the project is national mathematicians' meetings every two years. Here the entire Norwegian mathematics community meets. A separate day is dedicated to Ph.D. students in Norway, who present their research to each other.

Recruitment of young talents. Through the project, several outstanding young researchers have been recruited. Kris Shaw at UiO, Didier Pilod at UiB, Drew Heard at NTNU and Cordian Riener at UiT. These have made significant scientific contributions. They have been driving forces for initiating a lot of academic activity. Cordian Riener is the current leader of the Norwegian Mathematics Council.

Guest professors and academic exchange. Through the TMF guest professor program, we have been able to invite renowned international mathematicians for stays at our universities, where they have given lecture series on new and current research, and research collaborations have been initiated and developed. We have also supported many international academic trips to meetings and for research collaborations. We had a particularly high level of activity after the pandemic when the need to get out was particularly great.

Education and competence development. For our students, we have organized a number of summer schools with week-long courses and lecture series by international researchers. We have benefited particularly greatly from master classes where we have been able to bring together students from all four universities for common advanced topics throughout the semester. The courses have consisted of two sessions of two to three days throughout the semester, in addition to weekly online lectures. We have thus been able to offer advanced courses that we would not otherwise have had the resources for. The students gain a larger environment and get to know mathematics students from our other universities.

Focus on women. The gender balance in mathematics is skewed. In recent years, the project has organized national meetings for girls in Norway who study mathematics, for inspiration and support, professional exchange, and social meetings. We see a larger proportion of girls in the bachelor's programs. We have initiated the Elisabeth Stephansen lecture at the national mathematics meetings, which is given by a prominent female mathematician. We have also ensured a good proportion of female guest professors.

Status now and in the future

A good ten years ago, Norwegian research in mathematics was evaluated by the Research Council. The RMN project was specifically designed with the needs identified in the evaluation to strengthen support for mathematical research in Norway. The Research Council has recently conducted a new international evaluation of research in mathematics in Norway. And the conclusion is clear: "Mathematics in Norway is overall doing very well".

The RMN project ended on 30 April. This is a loss which will be palpable to many in the community. And there is reason to expect tougher times for both Norwegian mathematics and the university and college sector in general. The number of students in our country will decrease: The number of children born in Norway has been steadily decreasing (a mathematical paradox since the population has been steadily increasing), and when the continuing education and further education backlog is caught up, it will also result in fewer students. The higher education sector will receive less funding (it has already begun). We must expect a reduction in the number of employees and in the number of courses offered. Mathematics may experience a double effect as we see that a smaller proportion of each cohort in high school chooses to specialise in sciences.

However, the activity and recruitment in RMN has had long-term effects. Several exciting initiatives have emerged and are facilitating the continued activity and further development of strong academic communities. One example is the Lie-Størmer Centre (LS Centre) for Fundamental Structures in Computational and Pure Mathematics, at UiT, under the leadership of professors Hans Munthe-Kaas (UiT and UiB) and Cordian Riener (UiT). It was initiated following a collaboration between UiT, UiB and NTNU, and has recently been admitted to ERCOM, the European organisation for leading mathematics centres. It has received significant support from the Tromsø Research Foundation, UiT and UiB, and will educate a large number of doctoral fellows in mathematics in the coming years. Together with funding for master classes, summer schools, workshops, and international research collaboration, this provides the basis for a strong and innovative research environment.

The LS Center has also received an eight-year grant from the Research Council of Norway to establish the research school Mathesis. Following the recent evaluation of the mathematics, computer science, and technology communities, the Research Council is also providing significant funding over the next two years to organize research networks. The NorVegen application was initiated by UiB, to strengthen the coastal communities at the universities of Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, and Tromsø. NTNU has an application for research schools, and Oslo has an application to strengthen the academic communities in algebra, geometry, and topology in Norway.

The fact that such structures and initiatives are now emerging and gaining traction is largely a result of the foundation that was laid through Pure Mathematics in Norway. The seven years of support from Trond Mohn's research foundations have built strong academic communities and significantly boosted Norwegian mathematics research. This is particularly visible at the universities of Bergen and Tromsø, where new, vibrant academic environments have been established. This commitment has contributed significantly to Norway becoming a profiled and important player in international mathematics and science.