About the Institute

The Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) was founded in 2010 by Brown University Professors Jill Pipher (lead PI), Jeffrey Brock (now at Yale), Jan Hesthaven (now at EPFL), Jeffrey Hoffstein and Bjorn Sandstede, through a major grant to Brown University from the National Science Foundation, Division of Mathematical Sciences. The vision for ICERM is encapsulated in its mission statement:

The mission of the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) is to support and broaden the relationship between mathematics and computation: specifically, to expand the use of computational and experimental methods in mathematics, support theoretical advances related to computation, and address problems posed by the existence and use of the computer through mathematical tools, research and innovation.

ICERM supports its mission by developing and hosting research programs and activities that:

  1. encourage the creation of new computational methods to advance mathematical understanding;
  2. foster a deeper understanding of algorithms and computational tools.
  3. Expose program participants to the use of simulation, visualization, experiments, or computer-assisted proofs;
  4. catalyze new directions of mathematical research through synergistic collaborations across disciplinary areas and research communities; and
  5. advance the training and mentoring of graduate students and early-career postdoctoral researchers through exposure to new mathematical areas and computational methods.

The institute benefits from its strong ties to the mathematical sciences departments at Brown, and from the vibrant educational community of colleges and universities across New England.

ICERM is located in the middle of Brown’s expanding campus in Providence, Rhode Island, making it convenient to transportation hubs, hotels, and restaurants. The beautiful space and facilities that Brown provides for the institute and its visitors are among the university’s substantial contributions to ICERM.

Contributors to ICERM Programs & Events

ICERM has a unique opportunity to shape future research and innovation in mathematics and to train the next generation of computationally skilled mathematicians. While ICERM’s core programs are funded by the NSF, it seeks additional funds from other Federal agencies and from corporate, academic, and individual sponsors in order to expand the scope of its research enterprise.

Simons Foundation Targeted Grant

ICERM is the recipient of one of the Simons Foundation Targeted Grants to Institutes. The Simons funding, totaling just over $1 million over 6-years (2017-2023), enhances and expands ICERMs efforts to bring top scholars to the institute to explore big questions in mathematical research.

ICERM uses the additional funding to improve financial support for the academic leaders of the institute’s semester-long topical conferences and workshops. ICERM also uses these funds for Hot Topics Workshops that focus on exciting and emerging discoveries in mathematics.

Simons Collaboration: Arithmetic Geometry, Number Theory, and Computation

ICERM is the lead in this $14M pure math research collaboration between Boston University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and MIT.

Other Partnerships

ICERM is grateful to have received donations and support from the following:

We wish to thank the American Mathematical Society and Springer Publishing for supplying scientific materials that support our mission.