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Caltech
Merkin Center for Pure and Applied Mathematics

Events

Spectral Theory and Mathematical Physics
A conference in honor of Barry Simon's 80th birthday

This conference will bring together leading international researchers in spectral theory and mathematical physics to discuss modern developments in the field. It will also be an opportunity to honor Barry Simon and his vast research contributions.

Mini-workshop: False-Mock Duality in Quantum Topology

  • November 15, 2025: Miranda Cheng (University of Amsterdam and Academia Sinica), Sunghyuk Park (Harvard University)
  • Organizer: Davide Passaro (Caltech)

Sponsored by the Simons Collaboration New Structures in Low-dimensional Topology

AIM Public Lecture Series
Vignettes from the Birth of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy by Kip Thorne

Kip Thorne will present a series of vignettes that illuminate various aspects of the birth of gravitational-wave astronomy, from seminal ideas in the 1960s, through LIGO's first observation of gravitational waves in 2015, and onward to LIGO today observing several black hole collisions each week, thanks in part to first-generation Quantum Precision Measurement Technology.

AIM - Merkin Center Workshop on Metric Embeddings

  • July 7-11, 2025

This workshop, sponsored by AIM, the NSF, and the Merkin Center at Caltech, will be devoted to the theory of metric embeddings and its interactions with geometry, analysis, probability, combinatorics, group theory, topology, and theoretical computer science. It will provide the opportunity for researchers to learn about major recent advances in this area. Another goal of the conference is to revive Matoušek's influential list of "Open Problems on Embeddings of Finite Metric Spaces" (https://kam.mff.cuni.cz/~matousek/metrop.ps), by updating it to reflect progress on existing problems, and adding to it a list of new questions and challenges.

AIM Summer Math Fair

Join us at our summer AIM math fair at Caltech! We'll have exciting games, fun puzzles, and other mathematical delights for all ages, along with giveaways, raffle prizes, and delicious treats to enjoy.

Mathematical Models of Generative Linguistics

This is not a traditional conference with scheduled talks. Rather, it is primarily a discussion-based gathering, with only a few short presentations designed to spark conversation on key topics. Bring your questions and any related ideas you'd like to explore.

Piano: An All-Woman Show

  • February 28, 2025, at 8 p.m.

In person: Dabney Lounge

This evening of music and stories, co-sponsored by Caltech Performing & Visual Arts and the Richard N. Merkin Center for Pure and Applied Mathematics, celebrates women composers for the piano over a 250-year period. You'll get to know Élisabeth Claude Jacquet de La Guerre, a musician in the court of Louis XIV of France; Marianna Martines, a favorite duet partner of Mozart's; Florence Price, the first African-American woman to gain widespread recognition as a composer; and other composers representing a variety of time periods, from when Bach was two years old to the early 20th century. Like women today, these composers struggled with sexism, with imposter syndrome, with being mothers who were also artists, and with gaining professional recognition. Most of them wondered if they were really amateurs underneath it all. Yet they composed anyway. Prepare to be inspired!

An audience favorite and quarter-finalist at the 2016 Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, pianist and storyteller Brianna Conrey has appeared recently at Freight & Salvage (Berkeley), Santa Clara University, KMFA Austin's Draylen Mason Music Studio, and on the radio program "Women Hold Up Half the Sky." This performance features a duet with Caltech Visiting Artist and award-winning flutist Dr. Hyesung Park.

FREE and open to the public. RSVPs strongly encouraged.

Winter School on Enumerative Geometry and Mirror Symmetry

  • January 22-24, 2025: Registration
  • Organizers: Tony Yue Yu, Thorgal Hinault, Weihong Xu, Shaowu Zhang

Minicourses by Zihong Chen (MIT), Alexander Givental (Berkeley), Daniel Pomerleano (UMass), Constantin Teleman (Berkeley).

Mini workshop on AI and MPS

  • January 5-7, 2025
  • Organizer: Sergei Gukov (Caltech)

The goal of this informal workshop is to bring together researchers to discuss and share ideas at the intersection of machine learning and mathematical and physical sciences. The focus is on problem solving and hands-on sessions.

Idea Incubator

A series of recurring events (held on Saturdays, roughly every quarter) that can be best described as "fireside chats" or "corporate retreats," devoted to topics at the interface of geometry, representation theory, and physics.https://burkeinstitute.caltech.edu/

Los Angeles Joyful Mathematics Symposium

  • November 16, 2024

This event is hosted by AIM and is sponsored by the Broad Foundation.

Burke Institute Fall Assembly

  • November 5, 2024
  • Organizer: Hirosi Ooguri (Caltech)

American Institute of Mathematics 30th Birthday Celebration Fair

  • June 29, 2024, 10am - 2pm, on the lawn outside Caltech Hall

Registration form: We have exceeded capacity and are no longer accepting RSVPs.

Come celebrate 30 years of the American Institute of Mathematics at our special math fair! We'll have games, puzzles, and other mathematical delights for all ages, along with giveaways, raffle prizes, and delicious treats to enjoy. You'll also have a chance to go on a tour of our beautiful facility located in Caltech Hall's Merkin Center.

AIM Workshops 

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