April 17, 2008.

The Summer School "Contemporary Mathematics"
(July 18-29 2008)

Since 2001, the Russian Academy of Sciences (mathematical section), the Steklov Mathematical Institute, the Moscow Depatment for Education, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and the Moscow Center for Continuous Mathematical Education organize a summer school, unique in its choice of professors and participants.

During two weeks around a hundred students (from the last two years of high-school or from the first two years of university) take part in 70-80 lectures and seminars. The classes are longer than ordinary school lessons, but shorter than university lectures: they take exactly 74 minutes each. Despite the fact that sometimes the weather is very hot, some students take part in 3-4 classes per day. The words "Contemporary Mathematics" in the title are not an exaggeration, which is confirmed by the programs of the previous schools.

Among the professors of the school are several of the leading mathematicians of the country, V.I.Arnold, D.V.Anosov, A.V.Arhangel'skij, A.A.Kirillov, S.P.Novikov, A.B.Sossinsky, V.M.Tikhomirov, A.G.Khovanskij, M.A.Tsfasman, V.A.Uspensky, V.A.Vassiliev and yesterday's and today's students, relatively recently having started their scientific path (A.Braverman, A.Bufetov, V.Kleptsyn, A.Kuznetsov). By the way, due to the total freedom of the participants to choose the courses, experienced mathematicians must sometimes face serious competition from their younger colleagues. The Organizing Committee often had to correct the schedule of the courses so as to give the participants (as well as the teachers) the opportunity to visit the courses of their choice.

The list of students is also outstanding. Many of them have gone through the toughest national and international competitions, others are invited by recommendations of leading teachers and scientific advisors.

The school remains in memory not only because of the mathematics, but because of the informal contacts of young elite of Russian mathematics between themselves and with older colleagues. Yesterday's olympiad winners and students will remember not only lectures and seminars, but talks on the beach, volleyball battles with the same lecturers (RAS member V.A.Vassiliev in 2001, professor A.V.Arkhangel'skij in 2002), football matches (where one could try to beat prof. A.B.Sossinsky or A.B.Skopenkov), tennis matches (academician A.A.Bolibrukh) and exciting ping-pong duels (prof. M.A.Tsfasman); some people believe that this is why the professors are invited. Evenings, guitar accompanied singing can be heard in several locations around the school.

We would like to believe that the past schools were successful. At least, many professors did not want to leave (and sometimes changed their plans to stay a few more days), and participants replied to cautious questions of the questionnaire like "Weren't there too many courses?", that "We'd like to have more!". What is even more interesting, to the question "Would you like to come next year", instead of the typical "Sure!", one of the answers was "Yes, if you'll take me as a teacher".

A series of brochures with the notes of courses of past schools have been published.

We hope that the Summer school "Contemporary Mathematics" will become international, and that in the summer of the next year the best math-loving scholars and students from different countries will have the possibility, as before, to spend two weeks in contact with the best mathematicians.

We ask each student, who wants to participate, to fill in the questionnaire.
You can see either the Russian version of it, or the English version (text only).
We strongly recommend to send your application before June 1, 2008.

The accommodation, meals, and participation fee is 500 EUR, and is normally paid by a funding organization of the country the participant belongs to. It covers all local expenses, but cover neither travel expenses, nor consulate charges.

Contacts of the Organizing Committee:
E-mail: dubna@mccme.ru
Address: 119002, Moscow, Bol'shoj Vlas'evskij per., d. 11.
Phone: +7-(495)-241-0500, +7-(495)-241-1237
FAX: +7-(495)-291-6501