Ideas

Ukrainian mathematician Svitlana Mayboroda was initially undecided on her career path. She had every intention of going into business until an opportunity presented itself to attend a mathematics graduate program in the United States.

Agustin Moreno, Member in the School of Mathematics, is exploring a restricted case of the three-body problem—a concept that considers the complex motion of three masses under the influence of a force such as gravity.

The Institute for Advanced Study distributed $21,742.50 in stipends for mathematics and $10,000 for theoretical physics during the academic year 1935–36. Three hundred dollars, sufficient to secure entry to the United States, was awarded to the Polish mathematician Stanislaw Ulam (1909–84), who had written to John von Neumann about a problem in measure theory in 1934.

Richard Schwartz loves simple questions. Here, he discusses the benefits of intellectual enterprise and how the quest to answer fundamental questions underpins his work. His passion for explaining math simply inspired a series of children's books.

Jinyoung Park is a first-generation college graduate, and after seven years as a secondary school teacher in South Korea, she went on to earn a mathematics Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Jinyoung’s story demonstrates the importance of role models at all levels of one’s education and the fact that it is never too late to begin anew.

John Urschel, Member in the School of Mathematics, is an applied mathematician/theoretical computer scientist as well as a former professional football player, who spent three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Urschel retired from the NFL in 2017...

Sergey Cherkis, a Member in the School of Mathematics (2020–21), is currently trying to understand instantons. Unlike particles in classical mechanics, quantum particles can tunnel through barriers by traveling in imaginary time. By combining his knowledge of mathematics and physics, Sergey is working to understand this peculiar behavior. Learn more about Sergey’s path, which begins with an early interest in mathematics and physics, and hear how mathematics itself became a tool for overcoming challenges on his academic journey.

Terrence Blackman, Visitor in the School of Mathematics (2020–21), is a number theorist, who considers the question: “can one hear the shape of a drum?” Using the tools of spectral geometry, Terrence considers such questions as part of his research, which traces its roots back to Queen’s College in Guyana. Learn more about Terrence’s path, from his early interest in writing to a realization of the aesthetic and cultural significance of mathematics.

Ask yourself this question: Can one hear the shape of a drum?

In this episode of Scholar Spotlight, mathematician and number theorist Terrence Blackman discusses his quest to expand understanding in the realm of spectroscopy. Learn about the strides Terrence is making in both spectral geometry and in surfacing the important work of African American mathematicians through his upcoming book showcasing their contributions to the field.

In 2020–21, Allen Yuan, Visitor in the School of Mathematics and a recent graduate from MIT, is studying problems in homotopy theory and algebraic topology.

I like to give a simple-sounding...