The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place every four years.
The Fields Medal is regarded as one of the highest honors a mathematician can receive, and has been described as the mathematician’s “Nobel Prize” , although there are several key differences, including frequency of award, number of awards, and age limits. According to the annual Academic Excellence Survey by ARWU, the Fields Medal is consistently regarded as the top award in the field of mathematics worldwide, and in another reputation survey conducted by IREG in 2013-14, the Fields Medal came closely after the Abel Prize as the second most prestigious international award in mathematics.
