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Eyal Markman and Tom Braden, professors of mathematics in the College of Natural Sciences, each recently presented section lectures at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians, the largest mathematics conference in the world. Speaking at the quadrennial meeting, presented by the International Mathematical Union and held this year July 23-30 in Philadelphia, is considered one of the highest honors in the field.

Markman, whose research interest is algebraic geometry, presented the section lecture “Secant Sheaves and Weil Classes on Abelian Varieties.” Braden, who studies the topology of singular algebraic varieties, co-presented the special joint section lecture “Intersection Cohomology Without Spaces” with Nicholas Proudfoot, professor of mathematics at the University of Oregon.

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First held in 1897, the ICM is one of the premier forums for presenting and discussing significant mathematical discoveries. Called by some “the Olympics of mathematics,” the meeting is famed for the gold Fields Medal that is awarded there. UMass was last represented at the ICM in 2018 when Markman and Braden’s colleague Paul Hacking delivered a lecture at the meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

Founded in 1920, the IMU unites more than 80 member countries, represented through their national mathematical societies and academies. Together and through its members, the IMU encourages global collaboration, and supports the development of mathematics in all regions of the world.