  The Fields Medal, often referred as the Nobel Prize of mathematics, is
awarded to no more than four mathematician under the age of 40, every four
years. In recent years, its conferral has come under scrutiny of math
historians, for rewarding the existing elite rather than its original goal of
elevating mathematicians from under-represented communities. Prior studies of
elitism focus on citational practices and sub-fields; the structural forces
that prevent equitable access remain unclear. Here we show the flow of elite
mathematicians between countries and lingo-ethnic identity, using network
analysis and natural language processing on 240,000 mathematicians and their
advisor-advisee relationships. We found that the Fields Medal helped integrate
Japan after WWII, through analysis of the elite circle formed around Fields
Medalists. Arabic, African, and East Asian identities remain under-represented
at the elite level. Through analysis of inflow and outflow, we rebuts the myth
that minority communities create their own barriers to entry. Our results
demonstrate concerted efforts by international academic committees, such as
prize-giving, are a powerful force to give equal access. We anticipate our
methodology of academic genealogical analysis can serve as a useful diagnostic
for equality within academic fields.
