The promise of that moment is what propels many mathematicians through the obstacles that often arise. So it was when, in the mid-1980s, a group mathematicians from Waterloo, McMaster and the University of Toronto agreed that Canada needed a premier centre for mathematics research, similar to the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) at Berkeley, but very much a Canadian institution. And they needed lots of collaboration to make it happen.

The group envisioned a national institute that would set a standard of excellence for research in Canadian mathematical sciences; a physical environment where people could do their best work through joint research projects, mentorship opportunities, and an endless roster of world-class programs, lectures and events. 

It would be a place where seasoned academics could convene with fellow researchers from disparate fields to push things forward and create something never seen before, and a place where younger mathematicians could have formative experiences they would carry throughout their careers. It would be a transformational force within Canadian mathematics, and a door where those who came through the institute could bring fresh perspectives, then carry their own learning and experiences back to their scientific communities.

A vision that big takes time to realize. It took eight years from the first inkling of an idea to the official inauguration of the Fields Institute in 1992. (For a more comprehensive history of the Fields Institute’s origin and all the fascinating figures involved, download a copy of Elaine McKinnon Riehm’s retrospective, “The Fields Institute Turns 25”).

Related: Fields Timeline: A Brief History

Thirty years later, and in a much-altered world, the Fields Institute is cresting the wave of another big, collaborative vision. This time, we carry forth our many achievements, the international reputation we’ve established for scientific excellence, warmth and collegiality, and an expansive, ambitious plan for where we want to take Fields from here. 

The Institute’s core purpose will never change. Fields will continue to emphasize our academic commitment to mathematical research through grants, conferences, workshops, events, programs and relationship-building. In fact, it’s due to our commitment to these foundational principles that we are now able to explore mathematical applications beyond the purely academic and can prepare the institute for a future that is quickly approaching.

Here’s how we plan to meet that future.

Fields MAGIC

Understandably, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the urgency and direction of some of these initiatives. When the virus first spread westward in early 2020, Fields was asked by the Ontario Modelling Consensus Table to help contribute to the province’s mathematical modelling efforts. We understood our obligation to share specialized knowledge with Canadians during an emerging crisis, many of whom needed help decoding the numbers that had suddenly become a part of daily life. 

That effort, which brought several Canadian mathematics institutes together in partnership, sparked the Mathematical Modelling of COVID-19 Task Force and several new Fields-initiated modelling methodologies which have since been adopted by the provincial government and others as a part of their modelling toolkit. 

Two years later, these efforts bloomed into Mathematics for Public Health (MfPH), a pan-Canadian network of infectious disease modellers, clinicians and policymakers that can rapidly respond to public health emergencies using state-of-the-art techniques to advise on public policy with the long-term goal of improving Canada’s resilience and emergency preparedness.

The best of what Fields stands for came through during Canada’s moment of need. We took the opportunity to organize a group of researchers in relevant fields, went back to basics to figure out if there were untapped ways to do things, and realized there was new science to be discovered. 

Fields is now committed to exploring other ways to create a better world through mathematics. Fields MAGIC is the umbrella group under which projects like MfPH will thrive. We are preparing to launch additional networks to tackle major social problems such as climate change, the future of communities and global prosperity (smart villages), the language of the brain, quantum algorithms, high speed communication and predictive health analytics, with two themes in advanced development.

Fields Academy

Fields Academy encompasses the teaching and training components of the Fields Institute, with levels that range from K-12 all the way up to highly specialized postgraduate courses. 

The thinking behind Academy involves a multi-layered approach to advancing one of Canada’s great natural resources: our wealth of talented students. On the graduate level, this includes addressing training bottlenecks in Ontario universities by offering students access to a broader range advanced courses, thus creating a more level playing field across institutions.

 Through Shared Graduate Courses, Industry Jobs Pathway, and the Fields Undergraduate Research Program (FUSRP), we improve competitiveness on global stage, help train graduates to be employable beyond the academy and provide industry with a direct pipeline of skilled, ready-to-hire graduates.

For elementary and secondary students, we are expanding outreach efforts through programs like Ask a Mathematician, which brings working mathematicians into classrooms to interact with students, talk about their research and answer questions. Our Elementary Educator Program offers free courses for elementary teachers looking to boost their math skills through foundational courses or expand their knowledge through enrichment classes.

Fields Multiplier

The third prong of our vision involves a refinement and expansion of the Institute’s traditional incubation activity. Multiplier focuses on the commercialization of mathematics-based innovations and is a successor to Fields-CQAM (Fields Centre for Quantitative Analysis and Modelling). 

It aims to fill a gap in the innovation ecosystem by recognizing and fostering mathematical contributions, understanding that the technologies that have changed our world are all built on mathematical ideas.

With our history of successfully incubating companies, our vast network of researchers, the Fields stamp of research excellence, and connections to industry, we are well situated to help generate Canadian IP through the successful application of fundamental mathematics.

Many of these ideas have been driven by the relentless optimism of the Institute’s current leadership. Fields Director, Dr. Kumar Murty, believes there is opportunity for growth in every challenge, and an obligation to use whatever resources we have to make things better for as many people as possible. 

As Fields prepare to reopen our building to the public after a two-year closure, these lessons persist. While we are excited to welcome participants back to College Street for the magic of in-person collaboration, we will continue to host hybrid events that allow our many new friends to continue joining us from around the world.

At this point, any attribution to John Charles Fields would be nothing more than speculation, but we'd like to think Canadian mathematics’ great administrator would be pleased to see the work being done under his name.

Like John Charles Fields, we were able step up as partner to government and research institutes in addressing serious issues. Like John Charles Fields, we have shown capacity to mobilize a large group of researchers in a short period of time – people who can reason and think abstractly. And like John Charles Fields, we provide a high-level vision, but also the details involved in successful implementation. We work with community, not just our small groups. We collaborate. And that is how we change the world.