Students in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Mathematics gained new insights into the far-reaching impact of math through a series of events featuring renowned mathematician and author Jordan Ellenberg.
His visit, spanning about a week, connected students with complex mathematical ideas in an engaging and accessible way. Ellenberg’s final event, a research seminar on April 2, challenged graduate students and faculty with a deep dive into Smyth’s conjecture (a mathematical question about the properties of certain numbers) and the non-deterministic Hasse principle (a concept that helps determine whether an equation has whole-number solutions). The discussion provided advanced students an opportunity to explore cutting-edge mathematical theory and its implications across disciplines.
“Professor Ellenberg’s final lecture brought together probability, combinatorics and number theory, and it showed how traditional boundaries between mathematical fields are breaking down in modern research,” UH Mānoa Department of Mathematics faculty member Daniel Erman said. “I think that is a really exciting thing for students entering the field to see firsthand.”
Two days earlier, an interested audience gathered in the Physical Sciences Building for Ellenberg’s public lecture, “From Malaria to ChatGPT: The Birth and Strange Life of the Random Walk.” The talk introduced students and community members to the hidden mathematical structures behind everyday phenomena, from mosquito control to artificial intelligence. His engaging approach demonstrated the unexpected ways mathematical ideas shape the world.
“I thought it was really interesting to see the ways that the same math appeared in different fields totally independently all around the same time,” said Lucia Haase, an 11th grader from Le Jardin Academy.
Ellenberg’s visit began on March 28 with a colloquium exploring the role of artificial intelligence in mathematics. Undergraduate and graduate students alike participated in the discussion, gaining valuable perspectives on the evolving relationship between AI and mathematical discovery.
“I really want to spread the message that math isn’t a finished product, it’s a living subject that’s changing every day,” Ellenberg said.
His visit underscored the university’s commitment to broadening students’ understanding of mathematics, demonstrating its relevance beyond the classroom and into the world at large. Learn more about Ellenberg from his interview with Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s The Conversation.
