Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review: Announcements

From the Editors, Volume 3

Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review — 2025-07-13

We are delighted to present the third volume of the Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review (PIMR). The third volume would not have been possible without the incredible work of the authors, our editors, and our referees, as well as the continued support of our advisory board and the mathematics departments of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. This volume provides a taste of math in all its forms — from pure theory to applications in society-defining issues. Mathematicians featured in this issue use not only traditional methods, but also cutting-edge tools such as artificial intelligence and the Lean theorem prover.

We are excited to feature the expository pieces, When equivariant homotopy theory meets combinatorics by Julie Bannwart, a researcher at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, and When a set theorist hears “combinatorics”: Infinite Ramsey theory by Dr. Thomas Gilton of the University of Pittsburgh. These works illustrate that combinatorics can serve as a bridge between seemingly disparate topics.

It is our privilege to feature interviews with Professor James Maynard of the University of Oxford, and Professor Bard Ermentrout of the University of Pittsburgh. Maynard was awarded the Fields Medal in 2022. He discusses how he utilizes math from surprising places, and how others have built upon his work. Maynard also talks about the future of math, and the potential he sees in generative AI to perform tedious tasks in order to free up the creativity of mathematicians. On the other hand, Ermentrout studies math in close connection with its applications. A pioneering computational neuroscientist, he discusses the development of the field throughout the 20th century and its future going forward. He won the Moser prize in 2025, one of the most prestigious awards in dynamical systems.

Given the ongoing upheaval in research funding within the USA we see it as ever more our responsibility to make math more accessible to the public. It is important that more people have access to appreciate and engage with the knowledge, beauty, and utility mathematics produces, and in doing so recognize its value, both as a tool for society and as an intellectual pursuit. We encourage you to submit to future issues and further this goal, be it through exposition, survey, book reviews, undergraduate research, or beach math problems. We look forward to reviewing your submissions!

Leonardo Finzi, Nina McCambridge, Griffin Mekler-Culbertson, & Lark Song
Co-Editors-in-Chief of the PIMR

From the Editors, Volume 2

Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review — 2024-12-06

We are delighted to present the second issue of the Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review (PIMR). Building on the success of our inaugural issue, this volume continues our mission to bridge the divide between pure and applied mathematics, connect academic disciplines, and make mathematics accessible to a broad audience. The enthusiastic reception of our first issue reaffirmed the importance of fostering an inclusive mathematics community. In particular the engagement from faculty and students at Carnegie Mellon University was encouraging and illustrated the path forward for our journal as our readership and authorial base expands geographically. We were honored to be selected for archival by the Library of Congress Web Archiving Program in September 2024.

This second volume would not have been possible without the continued support of our advisory board and the University of Pittsburgh's mathematics department. We are thankful for all of the hard work of our authors, referees, and editors. We would like to highlight Mathematics of machine learning: an introduction by Professor Stephen Wojtowytsch, a rigorous and accessible piece which is all the more timely as we enter this new age of artificial intelligence. Additionally, we would like to draw your attention to An interview with Professor Piotr Hajłasz, in which Professer Hajłasz describes his mathematical journey as well as math pedagogy in general. Lastly, we are ecstatic to include A history of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh, 1787-1995 by former department chair Professor Stuart Hastings. This thorough and fascinating work of historical scholarship ensures that the stories of our predecessors and all they have done for the field of mathematics will not be forgotten.

As of this issue Neil MacLachlan will be stepping down as co-editor-in-chief as he begins his studies as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Michigan. Associate Editor Leonardo Finzi will be assuming his role.

We encourage you to submit to future issues, be it through expository pieces, research articles, math history, or beach math problems. We look forward to reviewing your submissions!

Lark Song, Neil MacLachlan, & Griffin Mekler-Culbertson
Co-Editors-in-Chief of the PIMR

From the Editors, Volume 1

Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review — 2024-04-13

We are delighted to introduce the inaugural issue of the Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review (PIMR). Fundamentally, PIMR is dedicated to dissolving three types of boundaries: the traditional divide between pure and applied mathematics, the siloed nature of academic disciplines, and the wall of inaccessible terminology obscuring the joy of mathematics from non-mathematicians. Our modern world is primed for a new generation of young scholars well-versed in mathematics to make significant contributions across a wide range of fields spanning the humanities and sciences. While we cherish pure mathematics for its beauty and intellectual rigor, we are equally enthusiastic about opportunities to utilize and cultivate math in unexpected ways. From the first, PIMR has been dedicated to clarity of exposition. We hope these articles will educate, inform, and inspire nascent scholars across disciplines.

This issue would not have been possible without the support of the University of Pittsburgh Mathematics Department. We would like to thank both the former and current department chairs Professor Jonathan E. Rubin, and Professor Dehua Wang for making PIMR a reality. In particular we are greatly indebted to Professor Rubin, for his invaluable time, advice, and expertise. We also extend our warmest thanks to Professor Thomas C. Hales, who has been an advisor to PIMR since its inception and has contributed a fantastic book review of Whitehead's Introduction to Mathematics. Our gratitude extends to Professor Jason DeBlois for his dedication to developing undergraduate education and research in our community, including his contribution of an informative piece on undergraduate research in math. We are thankful to Professor Paul Gartside for his contribution to the Proofs Without Words series. Additionally, we are grateful to Professors Piotr Hajłasz, Michael Neilan, and Carl Wang-Erickson, who serve as advisors to the PIMR, providing warm support and helpful advice.

Finally, we are excited to announce this publication as the inaugural collaborative effort between the University of Pittsburgh Mathematics Department and the University of Pittsburgh Library System.

We encourage you to submit to future issues, be it through expository pieces, research articles, math art, or original problems. We look forward to reviewing your submissions!

Lark Song & Neil MacLachlan
Founding Editors of the PIMR