Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y Sistemas
Instituto de Matemáticas
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
About
This program for graduate students is designed to explore open problems through small-group collaboration with peers and leading researchers.
Program Structure
The program is structured in four components:
- 1. A warm-up online component, designed to help participants get acquainted with the problems
- 2. An in-person student workshop at Ciudad Universitaria, UNAM (Mexico City, Mexico)
- 3. The BIRS workshop at Casa Matemática Oaxaca (Oaxaca, Mexico)
- 4. An online follow-up component, with the goal of advancing and completing the projects
The event at Casa Matemática Oaxaca corresponds to the BIRS workshop “Discrete and Continuous Random Trees”, where additional invited researchers will join the program.
Main Events
Discrete and Continuous Random Trees — Student Satellite Workshop
- Dates: September 28 – October 2, 2026
- Location: Instituto de Matemáticas & IIMAS, UNAM — Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City
BIRS Workshop: Discrete and Continuous Random Trees
- Dates: October 4 – 9, 2026
- Location: Casa Matemática Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Funding
Accommodation support is available for graduate students attending the in-person components of both events: the Student Satellite Workshop at UNAM and the Workshop at Casa Matemática Oaxaca.
Small Group Leaders
Small group leaders will introduce open problems during the initial online kick-off meeting.
Serte Donderwinkel
University of GroningenRandom trees, random graphs and probabilistic combinatorics
Christina Goldschmidt
University of OxfordRandom hypergraphs, coalescence and fragmentation processes, scaling limits for random trees and graphs
Bas Lodewijks
University of SheffieldRandom graphs, branching processes, and first-passage percolation
Guillem Perarnau
Universitat Politècnica de CatalunyaProbabilistic and extremal combinatorics, discrete stochastic processes and the analysis of randomized algorithms
Víctor Rivero
CIMATLévy processes, stable processes, self-similar Markov processes, Markov additive processes, local times, branching processes and regenerative sets
Organizing Committee
Louigi Addario-Berry
McGill University
Omer Angel
University of British Columbia
Laura Eslava
IIMAS - UNAM
Saraí Hernández-Torres
Instituto de Matemáticas - UNAMImportant Dates
Teamwork Timeline
- Application deadline: April 12, 2026
- Online kick-off meeting: May 2026
- Online research meetings: May – September 2026
In-person Workshops
Participants in the program are invited to two in person workshops.
- Student Satellite Workshop: September 28 – October 2, 2026 (Ciudad Universitaria, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico)
- BIRS Workshop: October 4 – 9, 2026 (Casa Matemática Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico)
Apply!
The application deadline has passed. We will announce the results by late April.
Application deadline: April 12, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What will the program be like? How does it differ from a usual workshop?
This program is designed to be different from a traditional workshop. Rather than focusing primarily on lectures, it emphasizes collaboration and active participation. That said, this format is well established and has been successful in similar settings. The research workshop will follow a structure inspired by previous initiatives such as the Mathematical Research Communities organized by the American Mathematical Society, the Workshop and Summer School on Random Graphs (RandNET) held in Eindhoven in August 2022, and the Mathematical Foundations of Network Models and Their Applications – Research School held in Chennai in December 2024.
What is the time commitment?
We ask selected participants to attend both in-person workshops: in Mexico City (September 28–October 2) and in Oaxaca (October 4–9, 2026). Before the workshops, participants are expected to join a kick-off meeting, where the small group leaders will introduce the proposed problems and participants will join groups. Afterwards, participants should spend some time becoming familiar with the problem and its prerequisites. A commitment of a couple of hours per week should be enough.
What if I can only attend one week in person?
Thank you for your interest! This program consists of four components, all of which are considered essential to the overall experience. However, if you are interested in attending specific activities (such as lectures) during the workshops, you are welcome to contact the organizers to discuss possible options.
Can I receive travel funding?
he program primarily covers accommodation. Unfortunately, at the moment we are not able to provide support for travel expenses. We encourage applicants to explore other sources of funding for transportation. If covering travel costs may be a difficulty, please let us know in your application.
How is the trip between Mexico City and Oaxaca?
There are several transportation options between Mexico City and Oaxaca, including affordable alternatives that can help reduce travel costs. Once the list of participants is finalized, we may also help coordinate group travel.
Inclusion and Code of Conduct
We refuse to compromise the ideals of academic freedom and open exchange. We affirm that scientific events must be open to everybody, regardless of background or identity.
We are dedicated to providing a supportive, inclusive, and safe environment for all participants, ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. By participating in this program, all participants agree to uphold these principles.
Our goal is to create a space where all participants feel safe to share their ideas, confident that they will be heard and valued, and encouraged to push the boundaries of mathematics.
Contact
randomtrees@im.unam.mx