PROMYS Europe 2024
Report: September 2024
PROMYS Europe 2024 began on 7 July with a cohort of 37 enthusiastic and high-achieving young mathematicians gathering at Wadham College, Oxford for a six-week intensive summer programme, designed to give them the experience of thinking deeply about mathematics in a community of similarly mathematically excited students and staff. What is more, students are introduced to the experience living and studying in Oxford, working both at Wadham and in the Andrew Wiles Building, home of the Oxford Mathematical Institute.
PROMYS Europe 2024 was attended by 28 students, 7 of whom were returning students who first took part in the programme in 2023. They were mentored and supported by 9 undergraduate counsellors along with Senior Tutor, Benjamin Walker* (UCL). European countries represented by participants included Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom; the programme also welcomed students from China who have settled in the UK to complete their education.
Places were offered to students on the basis of their academic potential as demonstrated in their application; we waived some or all of the fee (which is already heavily subsidised) for students who would otherwise be unable to participate, and in addition provided travel funding for those who needed it. Counsellors received a stipend, along with accommodation and food. The programme is funded and resourced by the PROMYS Europe partnership, and by further financial support gratefully received from alumni of the University of Oxford and Wadham College, from corporate donors in the financial sector, and from the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research.
This year the core of the programme was, as usual, a Number Theory course, taught by Glenn Stevens (Boston University, founding Director of PROMYS) and Henry Cohn (Microsoft Research, MIT).
Students were encouraged to discover as much as possible for themselves, through their work on daily problem sets and through careful one-to-one mentoring by their counsellor. Alongside this was a Graph Theory course with a similar philosophy, taught by Niki Kalaydzhieva* (UCL).
This was primarily aimed at the returning students, but also attended by a good number of first years.
The first-year students all took part in an exploration project: six small groups worked on more open-ended investigative tasks, with each group mentored by a counsellor. In parallel, the returning students worked in three groups on research projects on advanced topics, which this year included Group Theory, Tiered Hypertrees and Prime Numbers. The exploration projects and research projects all finished with impressive presentations by the groups of students, and detailed write-ups of their work, showcasing their achievements.
Alongside their own mathematical seminars on Analytic Number Theory and K-Theory, the counsellors organised a variety of social and mathematical activities to help the students to get to know each other and to build the sense of the community that is so important to the programme, as well as sharing their own favourite mathematical ideas with the students. These were complemented by guest lectures, exposing students to a range of current mathematical research in various fields.
This year, the programme also included The Inaugural Vicky Neale Public Lecture, given by Tim Harford, which was simultaneously broadcast to our counterpart cohort at PROMYS in the US.
It was a joy to watch this year’s cohort grow as mathematicians and bond as a community and we are looking forward to running another successful programme in 2025.
*Ben and Niki are PROMYS Europe Alumni. The programme is fortunate to have distinguished Alumni who now help to deliver it.
Here’s a selection of what participants said after PROMYS Europe 2024.
I thoroughly enjoyed serving as a counsellor. The programme is intense, but I couldn’t imagine spending these 6 weeks anywhere else. [Counsellor]
The students were so passionate, excited and talented that they made me excited about maths again in a way I’d forgotten was possible. … PROMYS Europe made maths fun again! [Counsellor]
It was even more wonderful than I expected! PROMYS Europe was an amazing unforgettable experience. I managed to gain a lot of knowledge not only in number theory but on other interesting topics. I made new friends, experienced life in college and fulfilled my dream of seeing Andrew Wiles and James Maynard. [Student]
It was really insightful to see mathematics through different angles, different topics, different people. [Student]
The course was excellent. The lectures and PSets complemented each other very well, and I enjoyed discussing the content in my student meetings. They offered significant scope for exploration, allowing students to formulate conjectures. [Counsellor]
The number theory course was challenging and difficult but indescribably interesting and useful. [Student]
Graph theory lectures were very engaging, and fun. [Student]
I love this opportunity to interact with others who also share my passion for maths. I like that PROMYS Europe is a welcoming environment where people from different countries and cultures can come together. [Student]
There is something magical in spending time with your exploration team, trying to answer questions you’re not sure even have answers. [Student]
I found the counsellors an irreplaceable part of PROMYS Europe – it’s amazing how they guided us through the path without ruining the experience of going in blind into an unknown world. [Student]
I loved Wadham. Staff were lovely, food was delicious and facilities were great. [Student]
The academic staff were amazing, helpful and supportive! They never failed to make the lectures interesting and understandable. [Student]
I progressed so much mathematically. Not only have I learnt so much number theory, but I have also become a better problem solver and better at explaining myself and taking about my ideas. [Student]
I think PROMYS Europe has greatly contributed to my independence as an individual, 6 weeks is a long time to spend away from home but I really enjoyed PROMYS Europe. [Student]
PROMYS Europe is a transformative experience. So many people come out of it with a renewed love of mathematics, and I think that says a lot. Intensive, but worth it. [Counsellor]
It was more maths than I’ve ever done before but I wouldn’t want it any other way. [Student]