A 14-karat gold medal often described as the Nobel Prize for mathematics was stolen minutes after it was awarded to a Cambridge University professor at a ceremony in Brazil on Wednesday.

Caucher Birkar, 40, a former refugee of Kurdish Iranian origin, was one of four joint recipients of the Fields Medal, which is awarded every four years to the youngest and brightest stars in mathematics.

Within minutes of receiving the award, Dr. Birkar noticed that his briefcase containing the gold medal, his wallet and his cellphone was missing, the Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported.

The briefcase was later found outside the venue, but the medal was missing.

The organizing committee from the International Congress of Mathematics is analyzing recorded images of the event in Rio de Janeiro and working with the local authorities in their investigation to identify the thief.