Xavier Tolsa, first Catalan mathematician to give a plenary lecture at the International Congress of Mathematicians
UAB Department of Mathematics lecturer Xavier Tolsa will be the first Catalan mathematician to give a plenary lecture at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM)-considered one of the highest honours. The congress takes place from 23 to 30 July in Philadelphia. Held every four years, the congress brings together the entire global mathematical community.
Xavier Tolsa was selected for his contributions to harmonic analysis, geometric measure theory, and potential theory. Being invited to give a lecture at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) is considered one of the highest honours a mathematician can receive. Moreover, plenary lectures are reserved for a very select group of researchers of the highest international prestige and influence. Xavier Tolsa’s plenary lecture is entitled “Quantitative Rectifiability and Harmonic Measure" and will take place on Thursday 30 July, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. (US Eastern Time).
For over 125 years, this congress has served as the stage for presenting some of the results, ideas, and challenges that have shaped the evolution of modern mathematics. Artificial intelligence and its impact on research and education are among the major cross-cutting themes of this year’s edition—the 31st. The strength of mathematics is a strategic factor for Catalonia’s scientific, technological, business, and economic future, according to the Catalan Mathematical Society. Furthermore, the opening ceremony also will include the presentation of the Fields Medals and other major international mathematics awards.
The other researchers affiliated with the Catalan Mathematical Society who will participate as speakers are Xavier Cabré (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya), Joaquim Ortega-Cerdà (University of Barcelona), Gabriel Navarro (University of Valencia), and David Asperó (University of East Anglia, United Kingdom). The joint presence of these five speakers demonstrates the strong international standing of the Catalan mathematical community and its ability to make significant contributions to the discipline's key debates.
Xavier Tolsa Domènech, ICREA researcher in the Department of Mathematics at the UAB, was awarded the 2025 City of Barcelona Prize in the Fundamental Sciences and Mathematics category by the Barcelona City Council this February.
Xavier Tolsa obtained his PhD in Mathematics in 1998 from the UAB after studying engineering and mathematics. He spent approximately one year at the Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg, Sweden) and another year at the University of Paris-Sud (Paris, France).
He joined the UAB as a Ramón y Cajal researcher in 2001 and has been an ICREA research professor in the Department of Mathematics since 2003. He has received several awards, such as the Salem Prize (2002), the European Mathematical Society Prize (2004), the King James I Prize (2019), and the Julio Rey Pastor National Prize (2024). He was a guest speaker at the European Congress of Mathematics in Stockholm (2004) and the International Congress of Mathematicians in Madrid (2006). Additionally, as a principal investigator, he has secured two ERC Advanced Grants (2013–2018, 2021–2026).
The congress will be streamed live at: https://www.youtube.com/@SimonsFoundation/streams