Events in London

Hélène Duchêne, Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom, hosted the event “How mathematics enriches our lives”, which was organized by IHES in partnership with BNP Paribas UK and held at the French Residence in London on November 29. After an introduction by IHES Director Emmanuel Ullmo, Hugo Duminil-Copin, permanent professor at the Institute, gave a lecture on the theme “From coffee to mathematics”. Aimed at an audience ranging from the simply curious to mathematics enthusiasts, the presentation delighted the guests present.

The conference was followed by a dinner, during which the Ambassador of France reminded the audience of how important scientific collaborations and international cooperation were in the field of research. Hugo Duminil-Copin and Thibault Damour explained why the environment offered to scientists at IHES made it a unique place, highly conducive to creativity. Most importantly, professors are relieved of any teaching constraints or administrative tasks and can enjoy the great freedom that characterizes the Institute’s research model. Furthermore they benefit from the many available opportunities for exchange with the most talented scientists from around the world. Anne Marie Verstraeten, who heads BNP Paribas in the United Kingdom, then spoke about the importance of mathematics in finance, and more generally, its essential place in our societies. Finally, the evening was concluded by Marilyn and Jim Simons, co-presidents of Friends of IHES, the Institute’s partner organization in the United States, who shared their vision of IHES, which they consider to be a true gem in the world of fundamental research.

Earlier in the day, the Lycée Charles de Gaulle de Londres and the Higher Education, Research and Innovation (HERI) department of the French Embassy also invited Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, former director of IHES and current honorary professor at IHES, holder of the Nicolaas Kuiper Chair, to participate in the first “Coding Competition” event launched by HERI and the Lycée. The competition was organized by Mikael Tupin-Bron (teacher of mathematics as well as digital and computer sciences) and Antoine Cadeddu (teacher of physics and chemistry and head of the science department) and five teams of high school students presented their creative project which involved different computer languages. At the end of these presentations, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon gave a talk to the students,”Flexahedrons don’t smoke”, which led to a lively discussion.