Mathematics

The Program for Research in Mathematics, Engineering and Science (PRIMES) pairs high school students with MIT graduate students and postdocs to investigate unsolved problems in mathematics, computer science, and computational biology.

Mathematics department recognized for STEM student enrichment program

Popular diversity and enrichment outreach program marks 10th anniversary with award as it adapts to Covid-19.

May 29, 2020

A new algorithm, called the Fast Loaded Dice Roller (FLDR), simulates the roll of dice to produce random integers. The dice, in this case, could have any number of sides, and they are “loaded,” or weighted, to make some sides more likely to come up than others.

Algorithm quickly simulates a roll of loaded dice

Approach for generating numbers at random may help analyses of complex systems, from Earth’s climate to financial markets.

May 28, 2020

Researchseminars.org serves as a sort of crowdsourced Ticketmaster for science talks. Instead of featuring upcoming shows and concerts, the new site lists more than 1,000 free, upcoming seminars hosted online by more than 115 institutions around the world.

A Ticketmaster for science seminars

Despite physical isolation, MIT mathematicians build one-stop portal to online talks around the world.

May 26, 2020

During the Independent Activities Period in 2018, senior Michelle Xu worked with the volunteer group Cross Cultural Solutions at the Ritsona refugee camp in Greece, through the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center. “I may not make a career out of public service, but I am a human being, and just like any other human being, helping the world is important to me,” Xu explains.

Probing reality through physics, philosophy, and writing

Senior Michelle Xu’s varied interests all involve a desire to understand the universe. “I was just never particularly picky about which way to figure it out,” she says.

May 11, 2020

Left to right: David Sabatini, Kerry Emanuel, and Peter Shor, 2020 recipients of BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Awards

Kerry Emanuel, David Sabatini, and Peter Shor receive BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge awards

Laureates recognized for contributions to climate change, biomedicine, and quantum cryptography.

May 8, 2020

Abhijit Banerjee, Bonnie Berger, and Roger Summons (left to right) are new members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Three from MIT elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2020

Faculty members Abhijit Banerjee, Bonnie Berger, and Roger Summons elected by peers for outstanding contributions to research.

May 1, 2020

“These are truly unprecedented times,” says MIT Professor Tom Leighton, CEO and co-founder of Akamai Technologies. “The internet is being used at a scale that the world has never experienced.”

3 Questions: Tom Leighton on the major surge in internet traffic triggered by physical distancing

Mathematician and CEO of web services company Akamai looks ahead to how the pandemic-driven shift to remote working might change society.

April 27, 2020

(Left–right) Top row: Pelkins Ajanoh, Aurel Nagy, Mohamed Ismail. Middle row: Pooja Reddy, Connie Liu. Bottom row: Jason Wang, Riana Shah, Anthony Tabet, Jin Park, Sanath Devalpurkar.

Ten from MIT awarded 2020 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

The $90,000 merit-based fellowship funds graduate studies for outstanding immigrants and children of immigrants.

April 14, 2020

Left to right: Department of Mathematics Professor Alan Edelman, his co-instructor and family Corgi Philip, and visiting professor and longtime Julia lab collaborator David Sanders have altered their computational thinking course to encourage input on COVID-19 responses.

Computational thinking class enables students to engage in Covid-19 response

Nearly 300 students join an open course that applies data science, artificial intelligence, and mathematical modeling using the Julia language to study Covid-19.

April 7, 2020