As part of the international exchange program, the Department of Mathematics and Applications hosts scholars and academics from Italian and foreign institutions every year, to collaborate on research and teaching projects relevant to the Department's activity.

The list of the visiting scholars with the name of the institution of origin is listed in the attached document.

01/09/25 - 31/03/26

LUCAS CORREA Lopes - University of Brasilia, Brazil (PhD)

Departmental Contact: Professor Thomas Weigel

15/09/25 - 15/12/25

MORENO LOPEZ Alvaro Miguel - University of Malaga, Spain (PhD)

Departmental Contact: Doctor Nikolaos Chalmoukis

19/01/26 - 23/01/26

MARTÍNEZ-PÉREZ Conchita - University of Zaragoza, Spain (Professor)

Departmental Contact: Professor Thomas Weigel

20/01/26 - 20/03/26

DOS SANTOS Alexander Xavier - Franciscan University, Brazil (PhD)

DURIGON Mariana - Franciscan University, Brazil (PhD)

Departmental Contact: Doctor Marina Cazzola

16/02/26 - 27/02/26

KONYSZ Adam - University Niccolò Copernico of Toruń, Poland (PhD)

Departmental Contact: Professor Simone Secchi

Proposals for visiting candidates must be submitted following the instructions given by the Institutional Regulations (attached here) and forwarded to the attention of the Head of the Department.

The Bachelor's and Master's Degree programme in Mathematics take part in the Erasmus Study programme (Eramsus+), a resource aimed at promoting cooperation between higher educational institutions in EU countries, through the international mobility of students, faculty and non-teaching staff.

By the Erasmus+ programme the student acquires a study experience abroad at a university institution with which our Department has a signed agreement. The total period allowed for this experience can range from a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 12 months (possibly spread over distinct periods, over different academic years). The interested applicant must be regularly enrolled in the courses of the approved study plan, and can apply to the Erasmus+ programme proposing the desired institution and visiting period. Normally the call for the Eramsus+ applications takes place during December of each year with outcomes communicated in February. Applicants to the Eramsus+ scholarship will be shortlisted on the basis of academic merit and quality of the submitted proposal. The Erasmus+ scholarship will be increased by an additional amount provide by the University of Milano-Bicocca. Selected participants will be required to submit a Learning Agreement for the proposed visiting period abroad, identifying the examination courses offered by the chosen University and Department. The exams will be taken on site according to local rules, and the results (converted into 30ths) will be formally incorporated into the study plan approved by the Department for the purposes of obtaining the Degree.

Professor Renzo RICCA, (e-mail: renzo.ricca@unimib.it) is the current contact person and coordinator of the Department for carrying out the Erasmus Study programme.

Further information is available at the web address: https://en.unimib.it/international/international-students/outgoing-students/erasmus-study

Courses offered to ERASMUS incoming students can be inspected at this web address: https://en.unimib.it/education/mobility-opportunities/course-catalogue-incoming-students

The Erasmus Traineeship programme is aimed at students regularly enrolled by an approved study plan, who wish to carry out part of their thesis work under the supervision of a joint supervisor abroad, working in an institution that is not necessarily affiliated with our Department by an Erasmus programme, but it is placed in one of the EU member states.

The Erasmus Traineeship call is advertised normally 3 times a year, during February, June and September. It  provides scholarships that cover a period of about 2 months, deemed sufficient for carrying out the proposed thesis work. The Traineeship programme is based on a thesis project designed and previously agreed upon by the local supervisor, who will be formally responsible for the progress made in partial fulfilment of the degree.

For further, general information please contact Professor Renzo RICCA, (e-mail: renzo.ricca@unimib.it), who  acts as designated Departmental contact for the Erasmus Traineeship programme.

Further information is available at the web address: https://en.unimib.it/international/international-students/outgoing-students/erasmus-traineeship

The Bachelor's and Master's Degree programme in Mathematics take part in the Extra-EU Exchange programme, which allows to spend periods of training and study in foreign institutions that are neither affiliated with the Erasmus programs, nor part of EU membership. Interested applicants must have similar qualifications and must follow similar rules as those required by Erasmus calls, following similar application and selection procedures.

For further, general information please contact Professor Renzo RICCA, (e-mail: renzo.ricca@unimib.it), who acts as designated Departmental contact for carrying out the Extra-EU Exchange programme.

Further information is available at the web address: https://en.unimib.it/international/international-students/outgoing-students/exchange-extra-ue

Maths beyond the desks aims to show the non-school aspects of mathematics; a day of competitions, applications and research for high school students, organised by the Department of Mathematics and Applications.

The event is structured in three parts:

•    a team competition: two hours in which teams of seven students will compete on 21 problems in algebra, combinatorics, geometry and number theory

•    the maths samples, where we will offer previews and experiences of university mathematics, through games, problems and curiosities

•    the mathematician's work, two lectures on research topics, where we will try to give an idea of what mathematicians (or at least some of them) actually do.

Maths Beyond the Desks 2026 - See Italian Page

Maths Beyond the Desks 2025

The Maths Beyond the Desks Day 2025 was held on 11/04/2025. The event programme, seminar abstracts, flyers and photos can be found below.

Programme

9 am-9:30 am welcome of participants (U2-08b and U2-07)

9:30 am-11:30 am team competition (U2-08b)

9:30 am-12:30 am mathematics workshops (U2-06 and U2-07)

12:30 pm lunch (Galleria della Scienza)

1 pm-2:30 pm maths samples (Galleria della Scienza)

2:30 pm team competition prize-giving (U3-01)

3 pm lectures: the mathematician's work (U3-01)

5:30 final greetings (U3-01)

Samples of mathematics

Guided maths exploration experiences

Polyhedral Puzzles Construction, composition and decomposition of polyhedra to explore their properties and volume formulas.

What do fractions have to do with nodes? We will explore the links between fractions and nodes theory through an interactive experience called the nodes dance. Through simple manipulations of two strings and nodes, key mathematical concepts related to fractions and the Euclidean algorithm will emerge.

Games of two - who wins? An introduction to winning strategies for so-called ‘perfect information’ games and their formalisation ... by playing among yourselves!

There is infinity and infinity! An introduction to some of the properties of infinity in mathematics, and to some important paradoxes involving it.

Squaring the Circle Approximations of the value of Greek π from Archimede to Gauss, using infinite polygons or perhaps just the square.

Fractals and infinity An introduction to the concept of fractal, with construction of examples, and a reflection on the existence of objects of infinite perimeter but finite area.

"Choosing at random": what does it really mean? A guided reflection on the concept of random choice through Bertrand's paradox.

Periodic numbers and the Fermat-Eulero theorem An introduction to Fermat's little theorem, and the Eulero theorem that generalises it, starting with the periodic decimal expansion of rational numbers.

Samples of mathematics

What is studied in a Maths degree: previews and information

Probably Strange - How probability theory helps us against misleading intuitions

Plane tessellations - From Escher to the Einstein dowel

Floating Point Arithmetic - Precision between Numbers and Paradoxes

Interactive Mathematics - A multimedia workstation will provide access to interactive applets that will present problems in various areas of mathematics or allow you to visualise mathematical items.

Mouth-watering Paradoxes - Ice cream makers, elections and other strange things!

Geometry of polyhedra - A discrete invitation to the study of surfaces

Critique of reason ... Running - Getting lost following the bridges of Konigsberg and other impossible paths.

...and an orientation point on the Maths degree programme

The mathematician's work

What does a mathematician do for work at university?

Prof. Silvia Gazzola (UniPi) - From effects to causes: the mathematics of inverse problems

Abstract: We frequently tend to think of mathematical modelling as a tool which, given a series of hypotheses and initial conditions, allows us to calculate the evolution of a process, following a type of natural link between cause and effect. Inverse problems distort this flow, starting from some effects (data) and reconstructing their causes (quantities of interest). Although this may seem complex, inverse problems are plentiful in everyday life: for example, we are solving an inverse problem when we try to correct a blurred image, or when we capture images of the inside of objects that we can only access from the outside (think of CT scans performed for medical reasons). Inverse problems are not trivial to solve, as often the same data can be associated with different amounts of interest, and small perturbations in the former can cause huge perturbations in the latter. In this talk, I will explain how inverse problems in image restoration and tomography can be modelled and guide you through possible methods of resolution, highlighting recent research developments in this area and open questions.

Prof. Luigi Amedeo Bianchi (UniTn) - Trying (and failing) is learning: the mathematics of reinforcement learning

Abstract: Reinforcement Learning is a technique in the field of Artificial Intelligence, inspired by the way living beings learn through experiments, mistakes and rewards. In this introduction, we will explore the mathematical basis of this method, focusing on key concepts such as Markov decision processes, value functions and learning algorithms. With simple yet fun examples, we will see how mathematics plays a key role in training agents to make optimal decisions, but also how much more there is to discover.