The Rolf Nevanlinna Prize was awarded once every 4 years at the International Congress of Mathematicians, for outstanding contributions in Mathematical Aspects of Information Sciences including:

1. All mathematical aspects of computer science, including complexity theory, logic of programming languages, analysis of algorithms, cryptography, computer vision, pattern recognition, information processing and modelling of intelligence.
2. Scientific computing and numerical analysis. Computational aspects of optimization and control theory. Computer algebra.

The Rolf Nevanlinna Prize Committee was chosen by the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union. A candidate's 40th birthday must not occur before January 1st of the year of the Congress at which the Prize is awarded.

The name of the Chair of the Committee was made public, but the names of other members of the Committee remained anonymous until the award of the prize at the Congress.

The details of the Award, the nomination, and the selection can be found in the Statutes for the Award.

Text by Olli Lehto, August 12, 1998 
(Secretary of IMU from 1983 to 1990)

The Rolf Nevanlinna Prize in mathematical aspects of information science was established by the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) in April 1981. It was decided that the prize should consist of a gold medal and a cash prize similar to the ones associated with the Fields Medal and that one prize should be given at each International Congress of Mathematicians.

One year later, in April 1982, the IMU accepted the offer by the University of Helsinki to finance the prize. The prize was named the Rolf Nevanlinna Prize in honor of Rolf Nevanlinna (1895-1980), who had been Rector of the University of Helsinki and President of the IMU and who in the 1950s had taken the initiative to the computer organization at Finnish universities.

Material - Au 585/00 (14KT Gold)
Engraving - In the border starting from 12 o'clock
Finish - Upper and bottom surfaces scrubbed (not shining but not quite matt) border surfaces shined
Package - Case of oak
Prize - 5,000 EUR

The name of the prize winner is engraved on the rim.

The 2010 cash value of the Rolf Nevanlinna Prize 10,000 EUR.