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.
Institute Instances is a collection of 1–2 minute video snapshots of scholars, administrators, and visitors to the Institute for Advanced Study answering a question (or two) about their work at IAS. Viewed individually, these clips allow audiences to get to know the people who are, in the words of founding IAS Director Abraham Flexner, "pushing beyond the present limits of human knowledge" through advancements in science and the humanities. Taken together, these "instances" of Institute life are designed to show how everyone can play a role in actualizing discovery, and to celebrate a community devoted to excellence in scholarship.