Math | Penn Today

Peter Lax, pre-eminent Cold War mathematician, dies at 99

Brit Shields of the School of Engineering and Applied Science co-authors an obituary of noted mathematician Peter Lax.

The soul of an artist, the mind of a mathematician

An artist, author, engineer, mathematician, and mentor, PIK Professor in the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science Robert Ghrist embraces innovation to enrich each of these roles.

8 min. read

The 9 unsolved mysteries mathematicians can’t stop thinking about

Mona Merling of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses the Kummer-Vandiver conjecture in number theory, an unsolved math problem that concerns divisibility of class numbers.

A young student writing a math equation on a white board.

Nurturing a love for math

A new book by Penn mathematics professor Robin Pemantle and longtime math teacher Henri Picciotto offers middle and high school educators actionable materials and invites reflection and connection across disciplines.

The universities already offering AI degrees, from Penn to Carnegie Mellon

In February, Penn became the first Ivy League school to announce an undergraduate degree in AI, featuring remarks from Robert Ghrist of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Who, What, Why

Who, What, Why: Hiro Chiba-Okabe on law and applied math

Chiba-Okabe explains his transition from practicing law in Japan to pursuing a Ph.D. in applied math and computational science and how those interests intersect.

Aerial view of people connected by lines.

A method of ‘look twice, forgive once’ can sustain social cooperation

Using mathematical modeling, researchers from Penn and Princeton found a way to maintain cooperation without relying on complex norms or institutions.

An elementary school student doing math on a white board.

Celebrating Penn GSE’s pilot elementary math tutoring elective

The academically based community service elective is supported by Penn’s Netter Center, with the aim to redefine traditional tutoring by designing its curriculum and approach.

One person whispers in the ear of another.

How much gossip is needed to foster social cooperation?

Researchers Mari Kawakatsu, Taylor A. Kessinger, and Joshua B. Plotkin in Penn’s Department of Biology developed a model incorporating two forms of gossip to study indirect reciprocity.

A minimalist drawing of a smiling stick figure with arms extended, connecting two scribbled balls, against a yellow background.

Does simple guesswork lead to more cooperation than complicated calculus?

Theoretical biologists from Penn test two modes of social reasoning and find surprising truths in simplicity.

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