Chris Buck / Be Giant

What I Learned Locked Inside an Escape Room with One of the World’s Most Brilliant Mathematicians

Jacob Tsimerman is a frontrunner for the prestigious Fields Medal. He's also handy with the occasional dragon's egg.

In a recent article for Be Giant, Jacob Tsimerman, Ashvin B. Chhabra and Daniela Bonafede-Chhabra Member and Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Institute's School of Mathematics, is profiled for his groundbreaking proof of the André-Oort conjecture and his lifelong passion for puzzles.

First proposed nearly forty years ago, the André-Oort conjecture is a highly complex problem "which concerns phenomena known as special points within geometric objects called Shimura varieties." For decades, it remained stubbornly unproven until Tsimerman and his collaborators finally cracked it in 2021, effectively beginning a new era in mathematics.

Tsimerman Be Giant — Chris Buck / Be Giant

Tsimerman sometimes applies trial and error to math problems—occasionally, he says, a random guess actually works, at which point he works backward to figure out why.

The profile highlights how this monumental breakthrough relied on collaboration—and deep ties to the Institute. Tsimerman was initially introduced to the problem by Peter Sarnak, Professor Emeritus in the School of Mathematics. He then partnered with Jonathan Pila, Member in the School, who provided crucial groundwork for the ultimate proof. Describing this collaborative lineage, Pila notes, "Everybody gets some help from the next people along."

Whether tackling high-level mathematics or navigating escape rooms, Tsimerman relies on a profound persistence. As he explains to Be Giant, "The skill of sitting there for several hours, repeatedly banging your head against the wall, trying new things while you’re stuck, is a super difficult and important skill to learn for research math."

Read the full article at Be Giant.