For those living in Beijing who have read "A Brief History of Time" and heard of its author, renowned Cambridge professor Stephen Hawking, August 18 will be a precious chance to see Hawking face to face.
On that day the professor will deliver a lecture in Beijing to the general public, which might ignite people's interest in mathematics before the opening of the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2002, although the lecture is not a part of the congress.
The ICM, which is considered an academic conference of the highest level in the international mathematics community, will be held in Beijing August 20-28.
The conference was first held in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1897 and is held every four years.
According to Ma Zhiming, chairman of the organizing committee of ICM 2002, about 4,260 mathematicians from around the world have registered to attend the congress, including more than 1,000 Chinese.
A total of 20 plenary lectures and 174 invited lectures will be delivered during the congress, said Ding Weiyue, another organizing official.
(China Daily August 10, 2002)
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