The Instituto de Matematica Pura e Aplicada (IMPA) in Rio de Janeiro is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its foundation, by a 1952 decree of Brazil's national research agency, CNPq. To mark the date, an international conference was held at IMPA from 3-14 June 2002, with the participation of about 200 foreign guests, including Fields Medal winners Sergei Novikov, Steve Smale and Jean-Christophe Yoccoz, besides a large number of Brazilian and Latin American Mathematicians. The conference included about 28 plenary lectures on topics ranging from Dynamical Systems and Algebraic Geometry to various applications of Mathematics. It also included 8 special sessions on research topics most active at IMPA and throughout Brazil. Over the years IMPA grew to become the best research center in Mathematics in Latin America, and a fine research institution by any international standards. As a graduate school, IMPA has formed about 250 doctoral students who are now active in Brazil and other countries in the region, thus crucially contributing to the development of Mathematics across the region. The Institute has also attained strong international presence, and currently houses the presidency of the International Mathematical Union (current president and IMPA's director is Jacob Palis).

Marcelo Viana, IMPA, Brazil
Saturday, June 8 2002