Illustration as a Mathematical Research Technique
Workshop 1: Rigorous Illustrations - Their creation and evaluation for mathematical research
January 19 to 23, 2026 - IHP, Paris
Summary
The beauty of mathematics can often be revealed in images, models and other illustrations. The structure iherant in the abstract ideas is sometimes easier to percieve using visual spatial senses, than the linguistic tools of proof. This makes illustration valuable to outreach and pedagogy, where it can reveal an intuition that can be validated by proof. For research it opens up an intuiguing possibility where we might be able to perceive new mathematical structure. Yet, by definition, this cannot be validated by a proof. In this meeting, and through the semester, we will be asking the question of how to ensure that research illustrations are really revealing mathematical structure not misleading, even when that structure is still being formed into conjecture.
Registration is free but mandatory
Participants should register using the "Registration" link the the left menu. (The registration form is the same for the trimester and for the workshops.)
List of speakers:
- Pierre Arnoux (University of Marseille)
- Stacy Brown (Cal Poly Pomona)
- Jen Christiansen
- Ingrid Daubechies (Duke)
- Lily Ge (Northwestern)
- Robert Ghrist (University of Pennsylvania)
- Joel David Hamkins (Notre Dame)
- Elliott Kienzle (UC Berkeley)
- Zsolt Lavicza (Linz University)
- Philip Ording (Pratt Institute)
- Loris Palaj (University of Bologna)
- Jean Schmidt (University of Arkansas)
- Hortensia Soto (Colorado State University)
- Shadab Tabatabaeian (Georgetown University)
- Greisy Winicki-Landman (Cal Poly Pomona)
- Glen Whitney (Studio Infinity)
Organising Committee:
- David Bachman (Pitzer College)
- Gabriel Dorfsman-Hopkins (St. Lawrence University)
- Edmund Harriss (University of Arkansas)
- Martin Skrodzki (TU Delft)
Schedule:
Monday, January 19th:
- 10:00-10:25 Edmund Harriss, "Framing and Questions"
- 10:30-10:55 Robert Ghrist
- coffee
- 11:30-11:55 Pierre Arnoux
- 12:00-12:25 Ingrid Daubechies
- lunch
- 14:00-15:00 Critiques Session
- 15:30-17:00 Group Discussion
Tuesday, January 20th:
- 10:00-10:25 Shadab Tabatabaeian
- 10:30-10:55 Elliott Kienzle
- coffee
- 11:30-11:55 Frédéric Brechenmacher
- 12:00-12:25 Joel David Hamkins
- lunch
- 14:00-15:00 Critiques Session
- 15:30-17:00 Group Discussion
Wednesday, January 21st:
- 9:30-9:55 Loris Palaj
- 10:00-10:25 Jen Christiansen
- 10:30-10:55 Lily Ge
- coffee
- 11:30-11:55 Jean Schmitt
- 12:00-12:25 Philip Ording
- lunch
- 14:00-15:00 Critiques Session
- 15:30-17:00 Group Discussion
Thursday, January 22nd:
- 9:30-9:55 Zsolt Lavicza
- 10:00-10:25 Stacy Brown
- 10:30-10:55 Greisy Winicki-Landman
- coffee
- 11:30-11:55 Glen Whitney
- 12:00-12:25 Hortensia Soto
- lunch
- 14:00-15:00 Critiques Session
- 15:30-17:00 Group Discussion
Friday, January 23rd:
- 9:30-9:55 Group Presentations
- 10:00-10:25 Group Presentations
- 10:30-10:55 Group Presentations
- coffee
- 11:30-11:55 Group Presentations
- 12:00-12:25 Group Presentations
- lunch
- 14:00-15:00 Critiques Session
- 15:30-17:00 Wrap-Up
