Message from Head of School

Welcome to the School of Mathematical Sciences at Tel Aviv University

 

In a world where technology is developing rapidly and artificial intelligence is changing how we learn, work, and do research, deep human understanding matters more than ever. The ability to express abstract ideas precisely, ask good questions, examine assumptions, and understand why something is true is the basis for independent thinking, creating new knowledge, and making good use of what we already know. Above all, these are the abilities we aim to develop in our students.
 

Mathematics is a wonderful way to develop these abilities. It teaches us to be precise, move between examples and abstract ideas, find surprising connections, and tackle questions even when we do not know how to begin. Beyond all this, learning mathematics is simply fun: the satisfaction of understanding a deep idea, the beauty of a proof, and the excitement of discovery stay with us along the way. Studying mathematics opens our minds and changes how we think and see the world.
 

Our school is a large and lively academic community with three departments: Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics and Operations Research. It is one of the leading centers for mathematics and statistics in Israel and worldwide. Its standing rests on outstanding research, contributions that have shaped entire fields, and generations of students who have gone on to work at the forefront of research. Research at the school covers a wide range of topics, from abstract questions about the foundations of mathematics to tools for understanding data and solving problems in science and industry. Connections between our departments, and with fields such as computer science, physics, economics, and biology, create exciting opportunities for research and learning.
 

Statistics and data science play a central role in this work. How do we learn from data? How do we tell a chance pattern from a real phenomenon, measure uncertainty, and draw conclusions we can trust? These questions are central to scientific research and to many decisions in society, medicine, and economics. They are also essential to developing and evaluating artificial intelligence systems. Studies in these fields combine strong mathematical foundations, statistical thinking, and computational tools. They develop the ability to examine both conclusions and the assumptions behind them.
 

Research and teaching support each other. We aim to give our students a broad and solid foundation, encourage curiosity and creativity, and introduce them to open questions and current research. Alongside courses, we hold seminars, conferences, and meetings with researchers from Israel and abroad. We also work to reach a wider community: to make mathematics and statistics accessible to the public, support curious young people, and strengthen our ties with schools and the community.
 

Our graduates go on to research and teaching, industry, and many other fields. Whatever path they choose, we hope they take with them the ability to explore ideas in depth, learn new things, and think for themselves-and the joy of discovery.
 

I invite you to join us, ask questions, explore, and enjoy mathematics, statistics, and data science.
 

Best wishes,

Prof. Lior Bary-Soroker

Head of the School of Mathematical Sciences