ICMAT: Research and education initiatives

News from ICMAT

ICMAT launches the first intensive mathematics programme for university students in Spain

ICMAT is launching a pioneering project: the first Mathematics Intensive Program (MIP) for undergraduate students whose passion for mathematics drives them to deepen and expand their knowledge. The MIP is inspired by high-performance programs that have been running in other countries for decades. “Institutions such as the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa in Italy or the École Normale Supérieure in France, dedicated to academic excellence, have been extraordinary sources of mathematical talent. Several mathematicians who have reached the highest levels of recognition, such as the Fields Medal, studied at these institutions or through similar programs,” says Javier Aramayona, director of ICMAT.

The MIP will cater to the special needs of the most talented students so they can fully develop their potential. A highly select group of students starting a Mathematics degree at a university in the Community of Madrid in the 2025-26 academic year will be chosen. They will participate in the program until the completion of their degree and, upon finishing their studies, will receive a specific certificate issued by the CSIC, certifying their participation in the program.

ICMAT researchers prove the existence of fluids with unexpected behavior

It might seem that in an equilibrium fluid—whose structure does not change over time—only simple patterns emerge. For example, in water flowing through a pipe at a constant speed, the streamlines apparently indicate the movement of each fluid particle. However, beneath the visible tranquility, intricate behaviors may be hidden, which the research community strives to understand. “The goal is to decipher how complex these types of fluids, known as stationary, can be,” explain Alberto Enciso and Daniel Peralta-Salas, researchers at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT). In an article published on 21 March in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), these researchers, together with Willi Kepplinger (University of Vienna, Austria), demonstrate that the complexity is much greater than previously thought.

For the first time, scientists have theoretically proven the existence of stationary flows in which any small perturbation, such as a slight pressure change, radically alters their behavior, pulling them out of equilibrium and potentially leading to highly complex and unpredictable behaviors: turbulence. These are known as isolated stationary flows.

Experts in geometry from across Ibero-America gather at ICMAT

From April 21 to 25, the ICMAT host the Conference on Geometry at Large, co-organized with the Institute of the Mathematical Sciences of the Americas at the University of Miami (IMSA). This was the first scientific event under the program ‘Enhancing Mathematical Bridges between Spain and Latin America’, launched by ICMAT. The event brings together leading researchers from across Latin America and Spain in the field of geometry. It also included a session with the participation of the Ambassador of Mexico to Spain, among other institutional representatives.

Upcoming conferences and mathematical events

• 12th International Conference on Harmonic Analysis and Partial Differential Equations. 9 June - 13 June 2025 (El Escorial, Madrid)

• XVII International ICMAT Summer School on Geometry, Dynamics and Field theory. 23 June - 27 June 2025 (Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid)

Funding opportunities and prizes

Ana Primo, Young Scientific Talent Award for Women: ‘It’s exciting how much there is to learn’

On February 11, Ana Primo, a member of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT) and associate professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), received the Young Female Scientific Talent Award in the ‘Mathematics’ category, granted by Mastercard and the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain Foundation (FRACE). Primo is an expert in partial and nonlinear differential equations. The jury recognized “her research on problems with nonlocal effects, such as elasticity, water waves, crystal dislocation, obstacle problems, flame propagation, stratified materials, or quasi-geostrophic flows.”

Educational initiatives and outreach programs

The ICMAT hosted 30 high school students for 3 days

From 7 to 9 April, the Institute of Mathematical Sciences once again opened its doors to students from various schools as part of the 4ºESO+Empresa programme, organised annually by the Community of Madrid. Thirty students from secondary schools had the opportunity to experience daily life in a centre dedicated to mathematical research. They also learnt what a research career involves and the pathway to pursue it, with the aim of presenting mathematical research as a possible career option.

“I really enjoyed being able to interact with the mathematicians and their working environment through these talks and activities”, “I especially liked being allowed to try solving the problems ourselves before the explanations”, “I found all the information and advice about research careers really useful” — these were some of the comments shared by participants in the programme.

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