Estonian Mathematical Society

The Academic Mathematical Society was founded in Tartu on 23 February 1926 when the statutes of the Society were registered at the University of Tartu. The first meeting of the Society took place on 21 March 1926 in the Festival Hall of the University of Tartu. It was attended by 68 members who were mostly students or staff of the University. Although Estonia had been dominated by Russia for a long period, it had gained its independence in 1917 only to come under German control. At the end of World War I Russia again tried to take control but was defeated by an Estonian army supported by a Finnish volunteer army. In 1920 Estonia was again able to assert its independence.  The Society flourished until political events caused it to be closed down. These events began with the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact of August 1939. On 17 June 1940 Soviet troops occupied the whole of Estonia and on 21 July the Estonian government, having little choice, adopted a resolution to join the USSR. Estonia become one of the republics of the USSR in August. Scientific societies were banned in Estonia, and the Academic Mathematical Society held its final meeting in November 1940. The Estonian Mathematical Society saw itself as taking up its operations as the Academic Mathematical Society had before it. From that beginning it developed new structures. A section on school mathematics was established as were working groups on the history of mathematics and mathematical terminology. Prizes were offered for the best school pupils at solving mathematical problems and for research material by undergraduate students. It now runs conferences, publishes books, organises mathematical Olympiad Competitions and many other activities designed to promote the study of mathematics.