Abel Prize

High school (ages 12+)
Mathematics & Numbers

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/abel-prize

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Abel Prize built?2001, with the first prize awarded in 2003
2. Who wrote Abel Prize?The Abel Committee, appointed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
3. What is the awarding body?The King of Norway, on behalf of the Norwegian government
4. What is the monetary component?7.5 million Norwegian kroner (approximately $873,000 USD as of 2025)
5. Why was the Abel Prize created?People wanted a math prize like the Nobel Prizes. The idea started in 1899 and finally began in 2001.
6. Who chooses the winner of the Abel Prize?A committee of five top mathematicians, chosen by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, reviews nominations and picks the winner.

Niels Henrik Abel: A 19th-century Norwegian mathematician whose work on the unsolvability of the quintic equation by radicals was foundational.
Sophus Lie: A Norwegian mathematician credited with proposing the establishment of a prize for mathematics in 1899.
Abel Committee: The five-member committee responsible for selecting Abel Prize laureates, appointed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
Abel Symposium: A recurring academic conference designed to foster discussion and collaboration among mathematicians.