The Third European Congress of Mathematics (3ecm) took place from July 10th to July 14th, 2000 in Barcelona. It was organised by the Societat Catalana de Matematiques (Catalan Mathematical Society), under the auspices of the Euro- pean Mathematical Society (EMS). As foreseen by the EMS and the International Mathematical Union, this Congress was a major event in World Mathematical Year 2000. In addition to reviewing outstanding research achievements, important aspects of the life of European mathematics were discussed. Mathematics is undergoing a period of rapid changes. Effective computation...