From Bucharest to New York, the 120th anniversary of János Neumann is being celebrated

On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the birth of John von Neumann, the namesake and inventor of the operating principle of today’s computers, the John von Neumann Computer Society is participating in prestigious events organized in the United States, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Romania.

Budapest, November 24, 2023. In addition to numerous domestic programs in the #neumann120 memorial year in 2023, significant events are being celebrated beyond the borders at the end of November in honor of the 120th anniversary of the birth of the world-renowned mathematician John von Neumann.

Celebratory conference and gala in New York

As part of the American series of events, a reception was held at the Hungarian Consulate in New York on November 8, where, in recognition of decades of work and, in particular, for preserving Neumann’s scientific legacy, Professor Péter Dávid Lax, an Abel Prize laureate who had previously worked under Neumann’s direction in the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, was awarded the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Hungarian Order of Merit by the decision of the President of the Republic. This year, due to his age, the 97-year-old Péter Lax was represented by his son, James D. Lax, who received the award on his behalf.

The following day, a full-day interdisciplinary conference based on John von Neumann’s scientific achievements took place at New York University. The panel discussions and presentations covered questions related to the future development of artificial intelligence, the possibilities of artificial intelligence in medicine, the physical sciences, economics, and social sciences. A gala dinner was held at the prestigious National Museum of Mathematics after the conference, where Ananyo Bhattacharya, the author of the book ’The Man from the Future: The Visionary Ideas of John von Neumann’ which was also published in Hungarian this year, delivered a keynote address. The event was addressed by Tamás Novák, scientific and technological attaché, John Overdeck, founder of the National Museum of Mathematics, and David Nirenberg, the newly appointed director of the Institute of Advanced Study.

For the participants from Hungary, Tamás Novák, the scientific and technological attaché, organized a visit to Princeton on November 10, during which the participants visited the graves of John von Neumann and physicist Eugene Wigner.

Neumann Memorial Conference in Subotica (Szabadka), Serbia

On the occasion of the Hungarian Science Festival on November 6, the Vojvodina Hungarian Academy Council organized a Neumann Memorial Conference in Subotica for the #neumann120 memorial year. During the full-day program organized at the Hungarian-language Teacher Training College, participants heard lectures on John von Neumann’s life and scientific achievements in the fields of computer science, game theory, economic-mathematical applications, and artificial intelligence. Representing the Neumann Society, Gábor Képes presented the stages of the polymath Neumann’s career.

The event was realized with the joint support of the Vojvodina Hungarian Academy Council, the Hungarian Teacher Training College of the University of Novi Sad, Óbuda University, and the Hungarian Fuzzy Society, operating as a section of the Neumann Society.

Neumann Symposium in the Netherlands

On November 27, the Embassy of Hungary in the Netherlands is organizing a Neumann Symposium in Delft: András Kocsis, the Hungarian ambassador in The Hague, will deliver a welcome address, and Ananyo Bhattacharya, who wrote the biography of the genius, will give the opening lecture on the life of John von Neumann.

Eric van Damme, professor of economics at Tilburg University, will speak on game theory, Gábor Elek, mathematician and scientific advisor of the MTA Rényi Alfréd Mathematical Research Institute, will deliver a lecture titled “The Neumann Dimension,” and Professor Georgi Gaydadjiev, computer architecture professor at Tilburg University, will summarize the history of post-Neumann era computing.

In Bucharest, Neumann, the polymath, will be presented

On November 28, John von Neumann will be presented as the polymath by János Varga, a Neumann researcher, at the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center in Bucharest. On the occasion of the anniversary, the institute will hold a scientific and educational presentation, which is partly addressed to the professional audience and partly to the students and teachers of the Ady Endre Theoretical High School in Bucharest.

For students, learning about John von Neumann’s outstanding contributions to the logical design of electronic computers can be fascinating. The close relationship of today’s younger generations with computers can provide a good foundation for understanding where it all started. The event will also showcase the digital display created by the Neumann Society and HUN-REN SZTAKI about Neumann’s life.

The Neumann Society, celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, has dedicated the entire year of 2023 to the Neumann 120 jubilee year. The neumann120.hu celebration site presents videos, photos, publications, and other interesting materials related to John von Neumann’s life and career, alongside domestic and foreign events.

About the Neumann Society

The John von Neumann Computer Society is the oldest and most prestigious national information technology organization. Since its founding in 1968, it has played a prominent role in creating digital equality. Among its activities, it emphasizes IT talent development, serving as the main organizer of the Nemes Tihamér Competitions and the National Graphic Programming Competition for decades, and preparing teams for student Olympiads (IOI, CEOI, EGOI, eJOI, IIOT). It is the introducer and operator of the ICDL exam system, which provides an international certificate. It is the founder and maintainer of the Information Technology Historical Museum in the Szent-Györgyi Albert Agora in Szeged. The society’s goal is to serve as the digital world’s GPS, helping navigate the information society.