A pair of University of Hawaiʻi faculty members delivered key lectures at the world’s largest mathematics gathering of experts.
UH West Oʻahu Associate Professor Kamuela Yong gave a joint invited address and UH Mānoa Assistant Professor Daniel Erman delivered an American Mathematical Society invited address at the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM) in San Francisco. Yong and Erman are believed to be the first UH faculty members to give invited addresses at JMM. More than 5,500 experts around the world attended the conference bringing together several mathematics organizations in early January.
‘When Mathematicians Don’t Count’
Yong’s lecture, “When Mathematicians Don’t Count,” highlighted Indigenous invisibility in the math profession. He started off by addressing problems with data reporting and how often Indigenous people are not reported for different reasons, including not having specific categories for Indigenous people. According to Yong, this difficulty in accurate reporting hinders a true understanding of the presence of Indigenous people in math (both faculty and students), creating the impression that math is not a welcoming space for Indigenous individuals.
Yong then discussed the lack of Indigenous perspectives in the classroom. He shared his personal journey into developing culturally appropriate curriculum and efforts to build a community of Indigenous mathematicians. Following his lecture, Yong organized an inspiring panel discussion with a group of Indigenous mathematicians who shared their journeys into the field.
“This effort is significant because many Indigenous mathematicians have felt isolated in our communities. We have gone to large conferences thinking we are the only ones. Through these efforts, I have identified around 50 Indigenous people from North America, the Pacific, and Australia with a doctorate in mathematics, and an additional 20 graduate students,” Yong said.
Math’s impact on tech advancements, education
Erman’s address, “From Hilbert to Mirror Symmetry,” discussed mathematical ideas of David Hilbert, an influential mathematician from the late 19th and early 20th century, and how those ideas have evolved over the past century. Erman examined how Hilbert’s algebraic ideas had been transformed through connections with other topics, including geometry. Hilbert’s work has an influence on technology, science, education, problem-solving and more.
Erman presented his collaborative research that uses a connection between mirror symmetry and Hilbert’s work to improve results and that has exciting applications for the future.
“It was an incredible honor to be invited to give this talk,” Erman said. “The Joint Mathematics Meetings present the biggest stage for a U.S. mathematician, and this was the most humbling honor I’ve received in my whole career. It was especially meaningful, as I had a chance to talk about the work of mathematicians who shaped me, including both my mentors and my collaborators.”
“The Joint Mathematics Meetings brings together the entire American mathematical community,” said UH Mānoa Department of Mathematics Chair Rufus Willett. “An invited address there is a very rare honor, of which Professors Erman (UH Mānoa) and Yong (UH West Oʻahu) are certainly both worthy recipients. I am delighted to see that their work has been recognized in this way, which comes with significant additional visibility for mathematics at the University of Hawaiʻi.”
