News

I hope you and yours are doing well, as this year draws to a close — finally… Looking back on the last nine months, I’m in awe of the grit of our research community. The fact that the Simons Institute has been able to run two vibrant, large-scale research programs in a fully remote environment is a testament to your perseverance and passion, as well as your flexibility. 

For many of the famous open problems in theoretical computer science, most researchers agree on what the answer is, but the challenge is to prove it. The story of cryptographic obfuscation is different.

Earlier this fall, we invited guest chef Daniel Mitropolsky, a PhD student at Columbia University, to teach our Cooks, in Theory cooking club the proper way to make Thai curry — something that he has spent a great deal of time getting right. 

We are delighted to share the news of the launch of the David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute. Established with the aim of increasing the participation of African American students in the mathematical sciences, this initiative is led by professors Todd Coleman (Stanford Bioengineering), Wilfrid Gangbo (UCLA Math), and Jelani Nelson (UC Berkeley EECS and Simons Institute), with staff support and convening space provided by the Simons Institute.

We are entering the final weeks of a unique semester at the Simons Institute, as in institutions across the world. I’d like to extend a word of appreciation to our program organizers and staff, who have shown exceptional flexibility and innovative spirit, rolling out our research programs in a fully online environment for the first (and hopefully last) time in the Institute’s history.