School of Mathematics

After thirty-five years of studying Isaac Newton, Govind Menon, Erik Ellentuck Fellow (2025–26) in the School of Mathematics, found himself "unlearning" the famous physicist's work. Alongside Akshay Venkatesh, Robert and Luisa Fernholz Professor in the School, he co-led an unusual seminar that invited scholars to encounter historical mathematicians as "kindred spirits," revitalizing the humanistic roots of their discipline.

Three pivotal books found in the stacks of the Institute’s Mathematics - Natural Sciences Library, the oldest dating from the 1990s and the newest encapsulating the latest pioneering research from IAS Faculty, trace the fascinating intellectual trajectory of computer "vision" and its relationship to pure mathematics.

In 2002, Subhash Khot, Member (2003–04) in the School of Mathematics, proposed the Unique Games Conjecture (UGC), one of the most hotly debated questions in theoretical computer science. Subsequently, Khot; Irit Dveer Dinur, Betsey Lombard Overdeck Theory of Computing Professor; and two other IAS-affiliated collaborators offered a proof that comprises the most significant advance toward resolving it.

How can an archive capture and preserve the most ephemeral aspect of an institution's legacy—the intimate conversations shared among its scholars? A unique artifact addressing this exact challenge was acquired by the Shelby White and Leon Levy Archives Center in early 2026: a dinner tablecloth belonging to Gabrielle Borel, embroidered with the signatures of the renowned guests she hosted.

Ken Ono, Member in the School of Mathematics (1995–97), reflects on how his father came to the U.S. from Japan after World War II at the invitation of André Weil, Professor in the School (1996–2001), and returned to IAS several times as a Member. Ono recalls the poetry of coming back to a scholarly community that feels like an extended family.

Govind Menon, Erik Ellentuck Fellow in the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Mathematics (2025–26), introduces the Mathematical Folklore Project, an initiative to reconnect with centuries of mathematical culture. He reflects on the exhilaration of contact with the past—and the discipline of letting ideas shine through.

When Ellen Eischen, von Neumann Fellow (2024–25) in the School of Mathematics, followed a stray thread of “lost math” into the Institute’s Shelby White and Leon Levy Archives Center, she uncovered the story of Hel Braun—and a mid-century perspective that still has consequences for research today. Eischen's investigations show what mathematics can forfeit when it treats its truths as untouched by the human, institutional, and political realities that shape them.

Rahul Ilango, Member in the School of Mathematics, studies computational complexity theory, which quantifies the amount of resources—like time and hardware—needed to solve computational tasks. Ilango has a particular interest in problems that bridge complexity theory with other fields, such as cryptography and proof complexity. 

Federico Ardila, Friends of the Institute for Advanced Study Member in the School of Mathematics (2024–25), describes mathematics as a deeply human, emotional, and collaborative pursuit. He shares how working alongside world experts at IAS inspires creativity in problem solving, akin to playing soccer with the best in the world.

Yelena Mandelshtam, Member in the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Mathematics (2024–25), discusses the power of complementary knowledge between mathematics and physics, and how this might drive forward advances in understanding problems such as the KP Equation.