Hugo Duminil-Copin’s talk at the presentation of the results of the ‘Citizen Maths’ consultation.

On December 8, 2025, the Luxembourg Palace hosted the presentation of the national consultation “Citizen Maths, Citizens!”, organized by the CNRS. IHES is proud to have participated in this unique initiative, which gathered citizens’ expectations and needs regarding mathematics.

Launched on March 10, 2025, the consultation aimed to better understand the obstacles and drivers related to learning and practicing mathematics. Between March and July, over 33,000 participants contributed online, 40 workshops were held across the country, and two citizen panels, bringing together 46 participants, worked for six days on the question: “How can access to mathematics be improved for everyone, at every age?”

During the presentation, Hugo Duminil-Copin, 2022 Fields Medalist, Permanent Professor at IHES, and Professor at the University of Geneva, shared his perspective on how mathematics is perceived. According to him, a widespread misconception is that mathematical ability is innate. “This is problematic because it excludes those who struggle and downplays the effort and perseverance of those who succeed. It creates a negative vision for everyone.”

He explains that this perception stems from the way we talk about mathematics: “In the consultation, the first words that come to mind are often: formal results, logic, rigor, calculation, science. All these words describe a very abstract vision of the discipline, which hides its creative and embodied aspects.”

For Hugo Duminil-Copin, it is essential to emphasize the process of understanding, which includes hesitation, mistakes, moments of insight, as well as the creative and collective dimensions. “This shows that mathematics can be playful, develop over time, and engage different forms of intelligence. Even activities that don’t seem mathematical often involve implicit mathematical skills.”

This consultation highlights the importance of bringing mathematics closer to citizens. It shows that mathematics is not just a set of rules or formulas, but a living, open tool accessible to all, capable of bringing people together and sparking curiosity.

IHES hopes that everyone can rediscover mathematics in their own way, accept mistakes and hesitation as an integral part of learning, and find their place in this fascinating world, both creative and collective.