The Department of Mathematics was delighted to welcome Prof. June Huh to Pittsburgh from April 15 through April 18 2026 on the occasion of the second Pittsburgh Mathematical Horizons Lecture. Following last year’s inaugural lecture by James Maynard, the series once again brought a Fields Medalist to Pittsburgh.
Professor Huh is one of the leading mathematicians of his generation. Since completing his PhD at the University of Michigan, he has reshaped parts of modern mathematics by forging new links between algebraic geometry and combinatorics. Those ideas contributed to major breakthroughs have been widely admired for their depth and beauty. In recognition of his achievements, Huh was awarded the Fields Medal in 2022, the same year he also received a MacArthur Fellowship. His work beautifully reflects the aim of the Horizons Lecture Series: to showcase elegant mathematical ideas and their profound impact on how we understand the world.
During his visit, Prof. Huh gave two well-attended talks. On Thursday, April 16, he delivered a joint Pitt–CMU colloquium on Volume Polynomials, addressed primarily to mathematicians. On Friday, April 17, he presented the second Pittsburgh Mathematical Horizons Lecture, Projection Areas of 4-Dimensional Shapes, to a broader public audience. Each event drew approximately 150–200 attendees.
The Pittsburgh Mathematical Horizons Public Lecture Series is a newly established annual series made possible by the generous support of the Benter Foundation. Its goal is to feature outstanding speakers who can present topics from modern mathematics that are of interest to researchers while also being accessible to the science-interested public in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.
In preparation for the visit, Kiumars Kaveh (Pitt) and Chris Eur (CMU) each gave a one-hour introductory lecture for graduate students and faculty on Tuesday and Wednesday before the lectures of Prof. Huh, highlighting Prof. Huh’s work and the contributions that earned him the Fields Medal. Prof. Huh also took time before and after the talks to meet with graduate students and discuss his research.
The Department of Mathematics thanks June Huh, local hosts Kiumars Kaveh and Chris Eur, and the Benter Foundation for making this visit possible.