Three French mathematicians are meeting with Bulgarian pupils, students, lecturers and scientists from today to 5 June at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The event brings together some of the most famous and world-renowned mathematicians. Prof. Cédric Villani, winner of the Fields Medal in 2010, Prof. Bernard Teissier and Prof. Patrick Popescu-Pampu are participating in the meetings which are held under the title “Why become a researcher?” and aim to promote the career of the mathematician scientist among Bulgarian young people who have a strong interest in mathematics.
The Director of the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Corr. Memb. Peter Boyvalenkov, opened the event by stressing that the French scientists will share their experience and expressed hope that this would be the first step to inspire young people to engage in science. The Attaché for Scientific and University Cooperation of the Embassy of France in Bulgaria, Arnaud Baubérot, congratulated the organisers, noting that this joint work was beneficial for science and important for bilateral relations. “The Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of BAS has the greatest experience in working with educational programmes,” the President of BAS, Corr. Memb. Evelina Slavcheva, said during the official opening. She stressed that it was also where the High-School-Students’ Institute of BAS was founded which is now known throughout the country and develops young talents in the field of mathematics. Mathematics is the science of sciences which is related to all spheres of knowledge, Corr. Memb. Evelina Slavcheva pointed out.
Prof. Bernard Teissier gave the first lecture “Length, Area, Volume, an overview of their geometry and algebra”. He is from the Institut Mathematiques de Jussieu and works in algebraic geometry, singularity theory and commutative algebra. He was a guest lecturer at the Academic Seminar of BAS in 2023. Prof. Cédric Villani, who is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, visited Bulgaria in 2018 and was awarded the honorary badge of the President of BAS for outstanding achievements in science and its promotion by the then President of BAS, Prof. Julian Revalski, Member of the Academy. Prof. Patrick Popescu-Pampu was a gold medalist of the International Mathematical Olympiad. He is a specialist in singularity theory and topology.
The organizers of the meetings are IMI-BAS, the Union of Mathematicians in Bulgaria (UMB), the High-School-Students’ Institute of BAS and the French Institute in Bulgaria. It is held under the patronage of the Embassy of France in Bulgaria and with the support of the “Education with Science” National Programme in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The lectures will take place until June 5, at 16:30, in the “Prof. Marin Drinov” Hall of BAS. Program of the event
