---
title: 'The Abel (not Nobel) Prize - Numberphile'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=e1_NXWjmwhc'
video_id: 'e1_NXWjmwhc'
date: 2026-06-30
duration_sec: 645
---

# The Abel (not Nobel) Prize - Numberphile

> Source: [The Abel (not Nobel) Prize - Numberphile](https://youtube.com/watch?v=e1_NXWjmwhc)

## Summary

The video takes viewers behind the scenes at the 2026 Abel Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. It covers the event's pomp, the laureate Gerd Faltings, and includes interviews that critique the prize system. The video also features a lighthearted souvenir theft of Faltings' name tag.

### Key Points

- **Abel Prize Introduction** [0:14] — The Abel Prize is nearly 25 years old and is often called the 'Nobel Prize of mathematics'.
- **Winner Announced** [1:33] — The winner was Gerd Faltings, known for cracking Mordell's conjecture.
- **Prize Handover** [2:30] — The Crown Prince of Norway handed over the prize.
- **Laureate's Speech** [2:38] — Faltings gave a humble, witty speech.
- **Souvenir Theft** [3:30] — The host stole Faltings' name tag as a souvenir.
- **Faltings on Interviews** [4:10] — Faltings said the least liked part was the many interviews.
- **Prize System Critique** [4:33] — Faltings criticized the prize system as unfair, concentrating on few people.
- **Banned Phrase** [5:55] — Committee chair Helga Holden said they never use 'Nobel Prize of mathematics'.
- **Selection Process** [8:27] — Holden explained the selection process involves scanning the landscape and seeking overlooked mathematicians.
- **Traits of Mathematicians** [9:21] — Holden noted top mathematicians are individualistic and independent thinkers.

## Transcript

Join me for a journey behind the scenes
at the 2026 Arbell Prize. I'm heading to
Oslo in Norway for this.
For those unfamiliar with the Arbell
Prize, it's been around for nearly 25
years and has carved out a niche as the
kind of Nobel Prize of mathematics.
We'll talk more about that later. And
hang around because later you'll see how
I sneakily steal something from the
prize winner himself.
Now I arrived in Oslo on a Monday night,
meaning I missed the traditional wreath
laying ceremony at the statue of Neil's
Henrik Arbell. He's the famed Norwegian
mathematician after whom the prize is
named, of course. And I did have time on
Tuesday morning to go and pay my own
respects.
The wreath you can see was still there.
I'm sure in the UK some scallywag would
have pinched that by now, but there you
go. Blowing in the wind. Now, I don't
know if you've heard of Arbel, but if
you're a math person, you've probably
heard the term Arbillion. That comes
from Arbell, so his name's everywhere.
Now, next it was off to this very fancy
hall for the prize ceremony. These
murals were painted by Edward Monk,
another famous Norwegian.
Now, the winner of the prize was no
surprise. It had been announced a few
months earlier and it was the German Ger
Falting.
>> Our board has decided to award the Able
Prize to G Fings.
>> I won't go deep into his mathematics
here. Suffice to say, he's a big deal in
mathematics, and he cracks something
called Mordell's conjecture. If I had a
dollar for every time I heard the word
Mell during this week, I'd almost be
able to afford a beer in Oslo.
Now, there was lots of singing and
music.
Fings by all accounts is a big music
fan. So he probably quite enjoyed this.
>> Your royal highness a laurate, ladies
and gentlemen.
>> And after a suitable amount of pomp and
a very classily made intro video, the
crown prince of Norway handed over the
prize.
Despite having a few issues with the
trophy's orientation, Faultings then
gave a really nice speech. He's quite a
softly spoken and humble man, but I also
found him quite funny. He's a dry wit.
We then left the hall and I couldn't
help noticing the trophy was left up
there on stage. I hope someone picks
that up later. And next, everyone got
properly overdressed and we headed to
the castle. More wine, of course. There
was no shortage of that. And we all
shook hands with this government
minister and faultings himself.
>> Congratulations.
>> That's a lot of handshakes, more music
and speeches. And it was actually quite
a fun evening. I met some really
interesting people at my table.
But then leaving the banquet hall, I
couldn't help noticing Falting had left
his name tag on his table. He was gone
and rather than having it tossed in the
bin, I decided to keep it as a souvenir.
Hey, at least I didn't steal that
wreath, right? The next day, we were off
to the university for lectures. Falting
himself and three experts giving more
technical talks. I have to admit, as a
non-mathematician, some were a little
over my head. This was definitely for
the hardcore,
but Falting sat through them. And as his
reward, he was thrown under the bus for
yet another interview. This time with
me. What part of the festivities that
we've seen so far did do you most like
and what do you least like if you will
tell me as well about it all.
>> Least like are the many interviews I
have to give
and most like
the prize ceremony ceremony was nice.
>> Tell me about prizes. You've received a
few obviously. What role do they play in
mathematics? Do you see them as an
important thing or trivial? How do you
feel about prizes in general?
>> Well, I mean it's when I was young, I
didn't think about prizes
and uh now I suddenly get them and uh I
thought I mean they seem to concentrate
on few people and not and I decided
there mechanism going on. I mean the
prize giver giver gains him prestige if
the prize winner has prestige and the
prize winner has prestige if the prize
giver has prestige and so the prize
giver looks for people who have prestige
and how do they find them? they have to
have gotten other prizes
and so it comes that sort of prizes go
to few people and there are many people
who would deserve some recognition who
don't get it so it's not a fair system
but I'm profiting from it
>> the full interview can be found over at
number file 2 see the links below and I
did show professor faultings his stolen
name tag and he autographed it for me
another party this time at the Norwegian
Academy of Sciences which essentially
runs the prize on behalf of the
government. Helga Holden chaired the
committee which decided the winner. So I
spoke to him too.
>> Let me say a phrase to you which I don't
know if it's a band phrase or not.
>> The Nobel Prize of mathematics.
>> Yeah, this is a band. This is the band
phrase. I I never use it. I never use
it.
>> But other people do use it and I don't
mind if they use it.
>> Okay.
>> But I don't we don't the the academy
will never use that. Yeah, I can
understand why Alfred Nobel died now.
But do you think he missed a trick by
not having mathematics?
>> Oh yes, he did a big mistake. A big
mistake. Yes. I mean this was on the
mission and I mean all these stories
about why there is no Nobel Prize in
mathematics and I think the closest one
is that he didn't see the practical
importance of mathematics because the
original uh plan for the Nobel Prize in
physics was to recognize the biggest
discovery of the previous year. that
does not make much sense these days at
all and the first years it was given for
practical inventions
and he couldn't see any practical uh use
of mathematics and of course now we know
that this is not true and also we know
that invent or discoveries in physics
takes more than a year so the plan was
great but he missed out something I was
speaking to uh fings today and he was
full of happiness and praise about his
prize
>> but he did raise an interesting point
and I have read it elsewhere as well
that the mathematical prizes can become
bit of a like a circuit and the same
people the same people win them you know
if he won a fields medal then you win
this then you win that and the same the
same
>> and I wonder how you respond to that
because it's it seems kind of inevitable
but I don't know how you get around
>> it is this is an issue and we discuss
this in the committee and we try to
avoid you know making the circle smaller
and smaller and some people get all the
prices now I I mean there are a few
people who stand out and they deserve
all almost all the prices and they will
get them eventually but we do make a
serious search and look for names that
have not necessarily been recognized and
who deserve it. So so it is an issue. I
I think it's a very valid point and uh
has to be taken seriously. So when the
committee sits and decides who the
winner is going to be, it's not just a
pure meritocracy and okay, all the best
mathematicians except that one's got it
and you're like working down a list.
>> To put it uh in very simple words, when
I took over the the chairmanship, I
didn't get a list from my my predecessor
with a list and I just had to cross out
the next four names on his list. That's
not how it works. So, so we try to scan
the mathematical landscape and see if
some people have been forgotten, some
areas have been forgotten.
We look for nominations and we collect
letters of references, letter of
recommendations from experts, real
expert worldwide. Again, a full
interview over at number file 2. And by
the way, I asked around and I found
this. Falting's prize was here in
storage, presumably to be sent to him a
bit later. Look at this lovely box.
>> I have to admit, it feels kind of
plastic. I wish it had been like crystal
or glass or something. Maybe some silver
and gold bits on it. But there you go.
With a cash prize of 7.5 million
Norwegian crowns, I'm sure the laurates
can afford to jazz it up later if they
want. Having seen multiple prize winners
and these top people, is there anything
you've noticed that you think, "Ah,
that's that's why these best men and
women, they've got something in common
or something about them?" Yeah, I have
the the privilege of having seen all of
them since 2003
and I have to say they stand out in some
way. It's hard to describe but they
really stand out from the crowd. I mean
they are very individualistic.
They are very independent thinkers. They
do what they think they they want to do
because they know they have been
successful in doing that throughout
their career. They have done things that
people have said you nobody can do this
and they have done it. So they stand out
and overall they are extremely
impressive from the professional point
of view. When you look at other aspects
you know I mean they are more like
regular people when it comes outside
their special field but in their special
field I mean they are stars. That was it
for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend
some of the other events held in Arbell
Week, including celebrations for younger
students and teachers, but they all
looked great. And maybe they'll invite
me back next year. Or perhaps not when
they find out about that stolen name
tag.