ICM Public Lecture: Manjul Bhargava

A leading mathematician brings a current mathematical idea to life for a broad, mathematically interested audience.
About this Event

Magic Squares, Cubes, and Hypercubes from Ancient Origins to Recent Advances

Speaker: Manjul Bhargava
Date: July 27, 2026, 3:30 - 4:30 pm

ABSTRACT
Inscribed on a wall near the entrance of the majestic Parshvanath Jain Temple in Khajuraho (built around 960 CE) is a 4 × 4 magic square with remarkable arithmetic properties. We will explain why this magic square is the unique one of its kind, up to certain transformations. This answers a question posed by the legendary geometer HSM Coxeter in 1938. We will also explain why there is a unique such magic object in every dimension.

SPEAKER BIO
Prof. Manjul Bhargava is a Canadian-American mathematician of Indian origin known for his contributions to number theory. He currently serves as the R. Brandon Fradd Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and the Stieltjes Professor of Number Theory at Leiden University. He has made several contributions to mathematics, especially to the number theory. He developed several new techniques of counting objects in algebraic number theory which revolutionized the ways in which fundamental arithmetic objects in algebraic number theory are understood. His research has given rise to several exciting applications. Along with number theory he also made important contributions to the representation theory of quadratic forms, to interpolation problems and p-adic analysis, and to the study of ideal class groups of algebraic number fields.

He was given the Clay Research Award in 2005. The same year he also won the Leonard M. and Eleanor B. Blumenthal Award for the Advancement of Research in Pure Mathematics In 2012, Bhargava became the inaugural recipient of the Simons Investigator Award.

In 2014, he was awarded the prestigious Fields Medal “for developing powerful new methods in the geometry of numbers, which he applied to count rings of small rank and to bound the average rank of elliptic curves.” He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of India, in 2015.

ABOUT ICM

The International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) is among the largest and most prestigious mathematical conferences worldwide. Held every four years, it is a showcase of contemporary mathematics and an opportunity for outstanding mathematicians from the global community to present the best work, covering all mathematical subfields and setting future directions for the field as a whole. The last U.S.-based ICM was held in 1986 in Berkeley, CA and after 40 years, the congress will return to Philadelphia, PA July 23-30, 2026.
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BUILDING ENTRY PROTOCOL

• Enter the Pennsylvania Convention Center via Broad St Atrium.
• Check-in at a kiosk and print a badge. All attendees must have a badge to enter the Terrace Ballroom.
• Limited seating is available for this in-person event on a first-come, first-served basis.

INCLUDED WITH TICKET

• Exhibit Hall Access 3:00-6:00 pm
• Mathemalchemy

SCHEDULE

Doors open: 3:00 pm (No entrance before 3:00 pm)

Lecture: 3:30 - 4:30 pm (Admittance closes at 3:50 pm)

All attendees must register in advance to attend this event. By registering, participants agree to follow the .

COMPLETE PUBLIC LECTURES SERIES

• Public Lecture with Terence Tao | Register Here
  Friday, July 24, 2026 7:15-8:15 pm
• Public Lecture with Talithia Williams | Register Here
  Saturday, July 25, 2026 5:30-6:30 pm
• Public Lecture with Geordie Williamson | Register Here
  Sunday, July 26, 2026 3:30-4:30 pm
• Public Lecture with Manjul Bhargava | Register Here
  Monday, July 27, 2026 3:30-4:30 pm
• Public Lecture with Ingrid Daubechies | Register Here
  Tuesday, July 28, 2026 3:30-4:30 pm

OTHER ICM OUTREACH INITIATIVES

• Math Festival Day 1 | Register Here
  Friday, July 24, 2026 2:00 - 6:00 pm
• Film Screening + Q&A of Journeys of Black Mathematicians Part 1: Forging Resilience| Register Here
  Friday, July 24, 2026 2:00 - 3:45 pm
• Film Screening + Q&A of Journeys of Black Mathematicians Part 2: Creating Pathways| Register Here
  Saturday, July 25, 2026 11:00 am - 12:45 pm
• The Proof in the Code: A Conversation with Author Kevin Hartnett & Publisher Thomas Lin | Register Here
  Saturday, July 25, 2026 1:15 - 2:15 pm
• Math Festival Day 2 | Register Here
  Saturday, July 25, 2026 2:00 - 6:00 pm
• Math, Music and the Mind: Analysis of the Performed Trio Sonatas of J. S. Bach and Organ Performance at Cathedral Basilica | Register Here
  Saturday, July 25, 2026 5:00 - 6:30 pm
• From Classroom to Canvas: Creating the ICM Mural with Oluwafemi | Register Here
  Sunday, July 26, 2026 4:00 - 5:00 pm
• Felix Klein – Insights from the Outside| Register Here
  Sunday, July 26, 2026 5:00 - 6:30 pm
• Sandbox Films Screening of PHENOMENA| Register Here
  Sunday, July 26, 2026 7:30 - 10:00 pm
• The American Mathematical Society Presents: The Music of Mathematics | Register Here
  Tuesday, July 28, 2026 7:00 - 8:30 pm