Fields of gold

Kiwi mathematicians have produced some astonishing medal-winning performances over the years.

- Bob Brockie

Nobel Prizes are dished out annually to medicos, research chemists, physicists, economists, writers, and peaceniks. Nobelists win a gold medal, a diploma, get to shake hands with the King of Sweden and take home 10 million kronor ($1.5 million).

There is no Nobel Prize for mathematicians. Instead, mathematicians have other prizes – notably, the Abel Prize and the Fields Medal.

The Abel Prize was set up by the Norwegian government to acknowledge notable lifetime achievements in maths. The presentation is based on the Nobel ceremony, so winners get a diploma, shake hands with the King of Norway, and take home 7.5 million kroner ($1.24 million).