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2025 Simons Lecture Series
This spring, we welcome two professors from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne to our annual Simons Lecture Series.
Maryna Viazovska | April 29 - May 1, 2025 (Date Changed)
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
The Sphere Packing Problem
- April 29: General overview
- April 30: Random sphere packings with symmetries
- May 1: Ideal lattice packings and subconvexity bounds II
Thomas Vidick | May 12-14, 2025
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Surprises in Quantum Complexity Theory
- May 12: Some complexity challenges from quantum information
- May 13: Entanglement, interactive proofs, and approximability
- May 14: Entanglement, error-correcting codes, and proofs
Each day, a reception will be held at 4:00pm in Room 2-290, followed by the 4:30pm lecture in Room 2-190.
This annual lecture series features presentations by top mathematicians. Many thanks to the late Jim Simons and his wife, Marilyn Simons, for their continued financial support of these lectures.
Latest News
Phi Beta Kappa Inducts 34 Mathematics Seniors
MIT’s Xi Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa will induct 34 mathematics majors, among a total of 101 chosen from the Class of 2025. The induction ceremony is May 28.
Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest academic honor society. Membership is awarded to students in recognition of excellent academic records and commitment to the objectives of a liberal education.
Full list of Mathematics Inductees
Congratulations to our newest members of Phi Beta Kappa!
Sanjana Das Receives Bucsela Prize
The 2025 Jon A. Bucsela Prize in Mathematics has been awarded to senior math major Sanjana Das for distinguished scholastic achievement, professional promise, and enthusiasm for mathematics.
Congratulations, Sanjana!
Scott Sheffield Is Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Leighton Family Professor of Mathematics Scott Sheffield is among the 120 new members and 30 international members elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Members are elected in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership is one of the highest honors that a scientist can achieve. He joins 19 other department members who have been elected to the NAS.
Congratulations, Scott!
Lior Alon Selected for School of Science Infinite Expansion Award
Instructor Lior Alon is one of nine postdocs and research scientists to receive the School of Science’s 2025 Infinite Expansion Award, which highlights extraordinary members of the MIT community.
Lior was nominated by John Urschel, who wrote, “I find that Lior revels in learning about different areas of mathematics, in particular, how his expertise can help others, and vice versa.”
Lior was previously a postdoctoral researcher hosted by David Jerison, as part of the Simons collaboration on localization of waves. His research lies within mathematical physics, and intersects with various mathematical disciplines, including Fourier Analysis, Spectral Geometry, Graph Theory, Morse Theory, Real Algebraic Geometry, Dynamics, and Number Theory.
Congratulations, Lior!
Lusztig Receives Basic Science Lifetime Award
George Lusztig has received a 2025 Basic Science Lifetime Award at the 2025 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS 2025).
He was recognized for "his unparalleled contributions to representation theory, and the profound influence of the theory of Deligne–Lusztig varieties, and Kazhdan–Lusztig theory."
Congratulations, George!