School of Mathematics

Jean Gutt, von Neumann Fellow in the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Mathematics (2024–25), recounts how dialogue with a School of Historical Studies colleague over lunch revealed connections between disparate fields.

Bennett Chow, Member in the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Mathematics (2024–25), traces new paths of discovery being undertaken in the field of geometric analysis, influenced in particular by Professor Aaron Naber.

Aaron Naber, Professor in the School of Mathematics, explores singularities that emerge when mathematical solutions break. He also shares his journey to finally solving the energy identity conjecture at the Institute for Advanced Study after years of dedicated work.

Ellen Eischen, von Neumann Fellow in the School of Mathematics (2024–25), shares her journey of discovery through the Institute for Advanced Study's archives, uncovering the story of Hel Braun, Member (1947–48) in the School, a significant yet overlooked pioneer in number theory.

Mark Goresky, Visitor in the School of Mathematics (2024–29), recounts how Institute for Advanced Study scholars have weathered storms to advance their scholarship.

Hong Wang, Member (2019–21) in the School of Mathematics, and Joshua Zahl of the University of British Columbia have announced a solution of the three-dimensional Kakeya conjecture. Their groundbreaking work builds on that of other IAS scholars, including Jean Bourgain, Professor (1994–2018), and Terence Tao, Member (2005, 2023), in the School.

Motivated by the growing interest in using artificial intelligence for teaching purposes, IAS scholars from the Schools of Mathematics and Natural Sciences have conducted an innovative study to assess the correctness and helpfulness of large language models in STEM education. Their research yielded surprising results, including highlighting the importance of training models on conversations rather than textbooks.

Suparna Mahableshwarkar, Academic Assistant in the School of Mathematics, describes the wide variety of lectures and events that she has been able to attend while working at the Institute for Advanced Study, ranging from a math magic show to a night of stargazing.

Meet Ellen Eischen, von Neumann Fellow in the School of Mathematics, who works in the field of number theory, exploring the nature of whole numbers. In this Q&A, she shares her journey through math, from the secret math journal she kept in high school, to a Women in Numbers program that facilitated her research, to joining the Institute for the 2024–25 academic year.

Pravesh Kothari, Visiting Professor in the School of Mathematics (2024), describes his experiences of interacting with “celebrities” from the worlds of pure mathematics and computer science at the Institute for Advanced Study, and how these two fields strongly interconnect at IAS.